Iran: August 19, 2000

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The majority of the members of parliament have called on the government to get rid of the remaining Afghan refugees still in Iranian camps near the Afghan border. There are still 700,000 Afghan refugees in Iran and they cause problems with banditry, drug trafficking and contributing to the already high unemployment rate. While some of the drugs are moved on to Europe, some of them are sold to Iranians. This is becoming a particular problem with young Iranians. On the Iraq border, the army intercepted a unit of female rebels trying to cross, killing two of them.