2007年VOA标准英语-Iran Expels Thousands of Afghan Workers

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
19 June 2007

Iran is forcibly repatriating¹ tens of thousands of Afghan nationals, calling the undocumented workers a drain on the Iranian economy. From Islamabad, VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports the United Nations says more than 100,000 Afghans have been deported² from Iran in the last two months.

U.N. and Afghan officials say as many as 2,000 Afghans are being deported everyday.

Afghan authorities have asked Tehran to end the immigration crackdown, saying the massive flood of forced returnees could overwhelm local resources.

U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards says the international body has also shared its concerns with Iranian officials in the Afghan capital.

"Quite clearly it is a concern and when you do something like this it does have to be done in a humane³ manner," said Edwards. "It does have to be orderly and gradual so the receiving country can cope."

He says most of those being forced out of Iran are illegal workers, not refugees, so technically⁴ the Iranian operation is considered legal.

Iran told the U.N. and the Afghan government in February that it would begin deporting⁵ illegal immigrants later this year.

The U.N. says there are around 920,000 registered Afghan refugees in Iran along with at least one million undocumented Afghans.

Edwards says many of the Afghans being deported have been separated from their families, including young children.

Nearly all of the returnees say Iran is making them pay for their own transportation costs even as they are being forced out of the country.

There are also widespread reports of Iranian abuse of Afghans.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch says many of the deportees claim they were seriously beaten before being driven out of Iran.

The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission says some Afghan nationals have died from injuries inflicted⁶ by Iranian police.

Human Rights Watch is calling on Iran to immediately halt the mass deportations and give the Afghans an opportunity to seek asylum⁷ if appropriate.

Iranian officials in Kabul are denying any allegations of abuse along the border and say the transfers will continue as planned.

They say the undocumented workers are being forced out because of the extraordinary impact they are having on Iran's economy.

Iranian businesses are under pressure from U.S.-led economic sanctions over Tehran's refusal to halt its controversial nuclear program.

1 repatriating   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Since banks are reducing overall lending, that means repatriating cash. 由于银行总的借贷额在下降，这就意味着资金必然国内回流。 来自互联网
• US immigration officials have again delayed moves start repatriating six-year-old Cuban shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez. 六岁的古巴海难幸存儿童埃利安非常幸运，美国移民局官员已将原本要遣返他的时间再次拖延。 来自互联网

2 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

4 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

5 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

6 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

7 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。