Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, August 26, 2019–Immigrating out of Iran has become a normal phenomenon and even the dream of many Iranians who feel that under the ruling regime, there is no hope for them to live a normal life of dignity and respect.
A crumbling economy, blatant corruption and nepotism, a lack of the most basic freedoms like what to wear or who to worship, and ruthless prosecution of political dissent are among the main reasons Iranians are not willing to continue their lives in their home country.
Bahram Salavati, director of the state-run Immigration Monitoring Association, says that according to a 2016-2017 survey by his organization, 30 percent of the population are eager to leave Iran and live in a different country.
In an article published on August 5 in the Shahrvand newspaper, Salavati said that under the current economic circumstances, estimates show that the number of people leaving Iran and immigrating to foreign countries will rise.
Another aspect of the immigration issue in Iran is the rate of people leaving rural areas, immigrating to the outskirts of urban cities, living in slumdog-like makeshift districts.
According to the regime's Vice President for Rural Development, a 2017 survey shows that about 33,000 villages have become deserted due to the flood of migration to urban cities.
The increasing problems with slums in city outskirts is a direct result of the Iranian regime’s lack of investment in rural areas.
The vast majority of the slum residents are former villagers who have fled their original homes hoping for a better life, only to end up in the outskirts out of sheer poverty.
Recent surveys show that the migration process is reversing and more and more residents of urban cities are leaving their original places to live in villages.
A report published by state-run IRNA news agency on July 10 shows that the immigration to cities like Tabriz, Isfahan, Arak, Ahvaz and Tehran, among others, has been negative over the past few months, meaning that more people are leaving these cities in comparison to people entering.
Jahan-e Sanaat, a newspaper that specializes in economic news, reported on August 17 about people leaving Tehran and Karaj. “Over the past few months, many people have been forced to migrate to nearby cities due to housing prices in Tehran and Karaj.”
On July 29, the IRNA news agency quoted the director of Tehran Province’s Management and Planning Organization saying that while previously, the immigration flow was towards Tehran, it has changed now and flows from Tehran to the counties and these districts have serious infrastructural challenges.
