Country Position Paper: Statelessness in Iran designed to identify and track recognised refugees,90 and the card enables refugees to access basic services.91 The Amayesh card however comes at the cost of $12 per year and this creates a financial barrier to many Afghan families who cannot afford the cost92, thus excluding those who cannot afford to pay leaving them undocumented. For those who can afford the initial cost, in light of the yearly renewal fee, many families struggle to continue their payments. Not renewing their card every year, which in itself is a complex and lengthy process, may result in deportation.93 In January 2017, BAFIA announced the ‘Headcount of the Undocumented Foreigner’ which sought to enable different categories of Afghan refugees to declare their presence with the Government. Those targeted included: holders of expired Amayesh cards, undocumented family members of Iranian nationals, family members of those enrolled in schools and Afghan passport holders with expired Iranian visas, among others. Those who engaged with the scheme received a slip attesting to their participation and afforded them temporary protection.94 850,000 undocumented Afghans participated in this process.95 Despite this scheme, as per the figures above, there still remains nearly two million undocumented refugees in Iran who are unable to access basic services. For undocumented Afghan refugees, they live under the constant threat of deportation and face difficulties accessing basic services including healthcare, education and legal assistance.96 In May 2015, a positive step was made in the form of an official decree affording children in Iran access to education, regardless of their legal status.97 It was recorded by UNHCR that in the academic year 2017-2018, 420,000 Afghan children (103,000 undocumented) registered for primary and secondary school.98 Despite this step forward for access to services for Afghan refugees and the realisation of the right to safe and affordable education for Afghan children, financial and socioeconomic barriers, physical barriers, and barriers within the education system are still prevalent, as well as the continued existence of legal and protection issues, which have all contributed to the prevention of the successful implementation of ensuring access to education for all Afghan refugee children.99 90 Human Rights Watch (2013) Iran: Afghan Refugees and Migrants Face Abuse, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/11/20/iranafghan-refugees-and-migrants-face-abuse 91 UNHCR (2015-2016) Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to Support Voluntary Repatriation, Sustainable Reintegration and Assistance to Host Countries: Islamic Republic of Iran, available at: https://www.unhcr.org/539ab62a9.pdf 92 Radio Farda (2018) Children of Undocumented Afghan Refugees Exploited in Iran, available at: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/childrenof-undocumented-afghan-refugees-exploited-in-iran/29596142.html 93 Human Rights Watch (2013) Iran: Afghan Refugees and Migrants Face Abuse, available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/11/20/iranafghan-refugees-and-migrants-face-abuse 94 UNHCR (2018-2019) UNHCR’s Support Toward the Implementation of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees: Enhancing Resilience and Co-Existence Through Greater Responsibility-Sharing, available at: http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/20182019%20Solutions%20Strategy%20for%20Afghan%20Refugees%20-%20October%202018.pdf 95 UNHCR (2018) Islamic Republic of Iran, available at: http://reporting.unhcr.org/node/2527 96 European Commission (2019) European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations: Iran, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/echo/where/asia-and-pacific/iran_en 97 Tasnim News, A Leader of the Revolutionary Leader: No Afghan Students Stay Out of Education, Even Illegal, available at: https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1394/02/27/741883 98 UNHCR (2018-2019) UNHCR’s Support Toward the Implementation of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees: Enhancing Resilience and Co-Existence Through Greater Responsibility-Sharing, available at: http://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/20182019%20Solutions%20Strategy%20for%20Afghan%20Refugees%20-%20October%202018.pdf 99 Norwegian Refugee Council (2017) Afghan Children’s Access to Education in Iran: What Happened After the Supreme Leader’s Decree, available at: https://d3gxp3iknbs7bs.cloudfront.net/attachments/e821bf7c-2036-470d-8ee0-9325f4cd9634.pdf 17