Hundreds of Afghans stuck at Islam Qala Port hoping to get into Iran

Kabul, Dec 27: Hundreds of Afghans seeking entry to Iran are struck at Islam Qala port awaiting permission from the Iranian authorities to cross the border, closed due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain, Afghanistan’s TV channel TOLOnews reported on Monday.
On December 25, Iran closed land borders with its neighboring countries for two weeks due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. The restrictions apply to Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Iraq.
“We have visas, but they still don’t allow us across. They [Iranian border forces] treat us like illegal people. I am shaking because of the cold weather but I am still waiting for their positive response,” Shoib Omarzada, a resident of Afghanistan seeking to enter Iran, said, as quoted by the media.
According to the TV channel, Afghans seeking to enter the country are currently awaiting the opening of the border in the settlement of Islam Qala in the western Afghan province of Herat.
Omicron was first detected in South Africa in late November. The World Health Organization designated it a “variant of concern” due to an exceptionally high number of mutations. Despite the new wave of travel bans on Africa, the new variant has since been detected in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.