E/CN.4/2005/85/Add.2 page 15 55. The main activities foreseen in this regard were conducting research on migration and refugee issues, the organization of seminars, workshops and other activities on migration and refugee issues, and the establishment of a documentation unit and a database on migration issues. Training activities were also envisaged, especially for law enforcement personnel dealing with migrants. VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Conclusions 56. The Special Rapporteur is aware of the efforts authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have made to accommodate populations which have fled their country in search of peace and security. The humanitarian assistance provided to Afghans and Iraqis fleeing their country has been duly noted. For Iran, this represents an economic and social burden, given the constant and huge number of persons residing on its territory. 57. The Special Rapporteur notes that very often there is a tendency to equate the situation of irregular migrants with that of refugees. The Special Rapporteur considers that this confusion may be prejudicial to the protection of the rights of both migrants and asylum-seekers. 58. The Special Rapporteur notes that Iranian authorities are not at this stage making substantial efforts to identify in a serious and self-critical manner the situation of the human rights of migrants and the problems they are facing. During her mission, she noted that the Iranian authorities preferred to refer to refugees when discussing the situation of migrants. This was particularly the case with regard to the situation of the Afghan population in Iran, which the Special Rapporteur believes consists of both refugees in the legal sense and also labour migrants. 59. The Special Rapporteur notes that there are a considerable number of migrant workers, mainly Afghans, in some sectors of the Iranian economy, such as the construction and agricultural sectors, and that many irregular migrants are exploited in the black market. 60. The Special Rapporteur considers that the difficulties involved in curbing irregular immigration are due to many factors, including the difficult economic and political situation of the countries of origin and the fact that the migrants see Iran as providing more opportunities; some Afghans are therefore encouraged to try their luck by relatives and friends already living and working legally or irregularly, in Iran. The fact that there are not yet clear policy, legislative and administrative measures in place for legal migration from Afghanistan to Iran contributes greatly to irregular and extralegal cross-border movements and encourages the use of smugglers and traffickers. 61. The Special Rapporteur notes that there are a number of ministries and departments within ministries involved in dealing with the issue of migrants without a clear delimitation of responsibilities or perceived coordination. This may lead to a risk of discrepancies between the migration control programmes and policies under the

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