Iran Moves to Remove Religious Marriages with Foreigners from Immigration Law
Abolfazl Abutorabi, a member of Iran’s Parliamentary Committee on Domestic Affairs, announced a new proposal to revise the country’s immigration law by removing the recognition of religious marriages with foreign nationals as a legal basis. According to him, the move responds to a rising number of abuses, particularly in Iran’s border provinces.
Abutorabi explained that under the 2019 law, religious marriages between Iranian women and foreign nationals were recognized, but this provision has led to young girls in border areas being subjected to forced and transactional marriages with foreigners. He emphasized that the primary goal of the new proposal is to prevent such exploitation.
Under the proposed amendments, only marriages officially registered with legal authorities would be recognized in Iran. Additionally, court rulings and DNA testing would be mandatory to establish familial relationships and citizenship eligibility. Iranian lawmakers argue that the absence of such requirements in the current law is a major gap that needs to be addressed.
Abutorabi also warned that if it is determined during legal proceedings that a foreign national’s marriage was solely intended to obtain Iranian citizenship, that citizenship will not be granted. Instead, limited residency may be considered. If the marriage is found to be fraudulent, courts could order the individual’s expulsion from the country at any stage.
He added that decisions regarding the length of stay for such individuals would be made by a council comprising security and law enforcement agencies, headed by Iran’s Minister of Interior. This council would have the authority to determine residency periods under specific circumstances.
These measures, focused largely on tightening international marriage regulations, have raised questions about the future of thousands of Afghan families who used religious marriage as a pathway to migrate to or reside in Iran. The situation is further complicated by the Taliban’s restrictive policies on migration and the uncertain legal status of many Afghan migrants currently in Iran.
