Prominent Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, in a gesture of support for Afghan immigrants in Iran, is holding screening and discussion sessions of his award-winning film A Separation for those immigrants.

The Shargh newspaper reports that in response to recent news of the mistreatment of Afghan immigrants in Iran, Farhadi, who is currently filming his latest project in Paris, is returning to Iran for screenings of his film on May 11 and 12, followed by discussion sessions among a group of Iranian citizens and Afghan immigrants settled in Iran.

In March, the IMNA news agency in Esfahan reported that the head of the security committee for tourism in the city has banned Afghan immigrants from entering Safeh Park on Sizdeh Bedar, a traditional day for going on a picnic in Iran and Afghanistan.

In unprecedented news, the Fars News Agency reported on April 24 that the office of foreign nationals and immigrants affairs has announced that Afghan immigrants are not allowed to travel to Mazandaran Province, a common vacation destination on the northern coast of Iran.

Afghan residents settled in Mazandaran reportedly have been given until June 22 to leave the province.

Afghan immigrants in Iran are not eligible for free public education and have to pay fees to attend public schools. In the past year, 400,000 Afghan children in Iran were reportedly unable to attend school.

Source : Radio Zamaneh