Mission Statement of the International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees

Mission Free Iran is a founding member of the International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees (ICRIR); we maintain a repository of all ICRIR documents. The ICRIR website is located at http://icrir.org. Current members of the ICRIR include Action for Democracy and Human Rights in the Middle East, International Federation for Iranian Refugees, Iranian Refugees Action Network, Iranian Refugee Amnesty Network, and Mission Free Iran.

Mission Statement of the International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees

The International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees is a collection of international grassroots organizations advocating for refugee rights with a specialized, though not exclusive, focus on the Iranian refugee situation. Our mission is to protect and uphold the asylum rights of refugees in accordance with the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

We use our varied and specialized expertise to advocate for refugees, prevent illegal deportation (refoulement), prevent imprisonment at border detention centers, and end abusive practices by UNHCR staff and national authorities responsible for protecting the rights of asylum seekers.

We effectively disseminate news about the condition of Iranian and other refugees with regard to their asylum process, conditions in the asylum country, and the local UNHCR offices handling of refugee cases, with the goal of informing and mobilizing the public to promote and demand just and fair treatment of Iranian and other refugees by both the host country and UNHCR.

Success in achieving this goal will guarantee safe relocation of many of those who have been threatened with or who have experienced human rights violations in Iran (e.g., political imprisonment, torture, execution), who are fleeing the country by the thousands. These include, for example, religious minorities; political activists; human, workers’, students’, and women’s rights activists; members of the media; women; transgender, gays and lesbians; ethnic minorities, and others who represent a threat to the Islamic Republic regime simply by asking for their basic rights.

By ensuring that the rights of Iranian and other asylum seekers are upheld, we support the fundamental right of all human beings to live in safety and freedom. Our work will create pressure on the organizations and governments that are mandated to uphold these foundational principles, to the benefit of Iranian and other asylum seekers specifically, and of human society in general.