June 22, 2018
The Majlis has taken up a bill that would permit Iranian expatriates to return without fear of arrest as long as they have not been charged with or convicted of a crime. It would give amnesty to those Iranians who left the country illegally without first obtaining an exit visa. But that has been Iranian policy since January 2014, when Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi said 95 percent of expats are free to visit and anyone could contact the Foreign Ministry to find out whether they were wanted or not. Then, in July 2015, the High Council for Iranians Living Abroad said “fewer than 1 percent “ of expats were subject to arrest.