Iran holds the largest Afghan diaspora in the world, and of the three million Afghans in Iran, one million are estimated to be children. Emerging reports of undocumented Afghan girls being sold into sexual slavery, and research showing that boys are being forced to fight in Syria on behalf of the Iranian government are hugely worrying developments. They are also developments that this site feels deserve more coverage.

The piece was published this week on Kayhan Life, a fully independent media outlet focusing on news about the Middle East. By way of disclosure, Researching Reform’s editor is the managing editor for the newspaper, which also has a strong focus on child rights. If you are interested in child welfare and would like to know more about the obstacles children in Iran face day to day, you can access those articles here.

Our story this week highlights the sexual exploitation of Afghan girls in Iran and the forced conscription of Afghan boys, who are coerced into fighting in Syria by Iran’s government. You can read the article here.  

We wish you a safe, and happy weekend.