Thousands of Iranians are leaving the country for Europe, the United States, Canada or Turkey

Posted in: 11/15/2021 – 17:31

From our correspondent in TehranAnd Siafush Ghazi

No official figures have been provided, but tens of thousands have left Iran for Europe, the United States, Canada or even Australia. The number of immigrants has tripled in the past three years.

Some of them are parents whose children already live abroad, but most of them are young engineers looking for a better life. Like Mohsen, a young computer engineer leaves Iran with his wife to go to a European country. ” As for me, I will leave because of the economic situation, instability and economic perspective and allow me to advance as an engineer; Mohsen explains. Those who decide to leave take into account everyday life and the economic situation in general. »

A conservative decline and a faltering economy

Conservative control of all instruments of power with the recent election of President Ibrahim al-Raisi, the marginalization of reformists and the absence of any hope for political reforms, encourages those who seek to leave.

But the deteriorating economic situation, with inflation over 50%, plays a big role, explains Hassan, a 70-year-old pensioner who lives in Tehran: When I returned after two months of travel, I learned that two of my neighbors had sold their apartment to travel abroad. Their children are already abroad. They worry about the economic situation, inflation and insecurity. I was very surprised that in two months two of my neighbors in a small building decided to leave, one to Canada and the other to another country. ».

More and more Iranians go to Turkey

Western countries are of course a preferred destination, but more and more Iranians are buying an apartment in Turkey where they can get a residence card at the same time. According to official figures, the number of Iranians who immigrated to Turkey has tripled in the past five years, and there are now about 40 thousand Iranians moving to Turkey.

To these wealthy refugees we must add those who try their luck by trying to reach European countries secretly through Belarus. Thirteen of them were recently stranded on the border with Poland. More than five million Iranians have left Iran in the past 40 years and are living abroad, but the pace of departure has accelerated further over the past year.