The Dutch government said on Monday that it would stop deporting Iranian nationals who had failed in their attempts to claim asylum in the Netherlands to Iran because of the current situation, the NRC reported.

A spokesman for the justice ministry told news agency ANP that deportations – which are rare – were being halted temporarily, but that no official moratorium had been issued.

The ministry is following developments on the ground closely and may take additional measures if needed, the spokesman said.

Dutch refugee aid group VluchtelingenWerk Nederland has called for a complete halt to deportations to protect Iranians who have criticised the regime.

Asylum seekers who have been involved in opposing the regime in Iran or in the Netherlands should be eligible for a residency permit, the organisation said.

Justice minister David van Weel told MPs last month that few Iranian nationals are deported because the Iranian authorities are reluctant to provide travel documents.