ББК 60.5УДК 316:314.7(55)
А244(5Ирн)
Электронные версии книг
на сайте www.prospekt.org
Approved for publication by the Scientific Council of the FCTAS RAS
Reviewers:
Dr. Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, University of Tehran (Tehran, Iran);
Dr. Lana M. Ravandi-Fadai, Institute of Oriental Studies RAS (Moscow, Russia).
А24
Afzali M.
Iranians on the Move: Migration Trends and the Role of the Diaspora : Monograph
/ M. Afzali, S. V. Ryazantsev. — Moscow : Prospekt, 2022. — 128 p.
ISBN 978-5-392-36602-6
This monograph is a study of trends in emigration from Iran and the role of Iranian dias“poras
in developing the country. The book is based on Mehdi Afzali’s dissertation research,
The contribution of emigration to the socio-economic development of Iran,” carried out
under the guidance of Professor S. V. Ryazantsev, as well as materials from other studies of
Iranian migration, carried out by the authors jointly in 2017–2021. The monograph proposes
d a conceptual framework for assessing the contribution of the Iranian diaspora to the country’s
on eevelopment in special geopolitical conditions. The work also summarizes the statistical data
int students, students (demographers, sociologists, political scientists, economists), and all those
erested in migration processes in Iran.
ББК 60.5УДК 316:314.7(55)
4(5Ирн)
ussia and other countries.
The monograph is addressed to scientists, civil servants, social workers, teachers, graduate
migration from Iran, presented in various national and foreign sources of information.
R The book contains sociological studies of representatives of the Iranian diasporas living in
Scientific edition
AfzAli Mehdi, RyAzAntsev seRgey vAsilyevich
AND THE ROLE OF THE DIASPORA
Monograph
IRANIANS ON THE MOVE
MIGRATION TRENDS
Digital print. 8,0 print sheets. Pressurn 70 copies. Order No.
Prospekt LLC
Passed for printing 04.04.2022. Format 60×90 1
/16
.
111020, Moscow, Borovaya st., house 7, building 4.
ISBN 978-5-392-36602-6
© © Afzali М., Ryazantsev S. V., 2022
Prospekt LLC, 2022
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CONTENTS
List of tables, graphs, figures and maps ....................................................................4
Executive summary ...........................................................................................................8
Introduction ......................................................................................................................11
1. Theoretical aspects of the contribution of migration
and diasporas to socio- economic development .........................................14
1.1. Brief theories on migration.....................................................................14
1.2. Diasporas and development: theoretical aspect .............................23
1.3. Demographic indicators of Iran .............................................................33
1.4. Economic indicators of Iran ....................................................................42
2. Forms, scale and direction of emigration from Iran..................................46
2.1. Migration patterns of Iran for the last 70 years .............................. 47
2.2. Scale and direction of emigration from Iran
(1990–2019) ................................................................................................49
2.3. Refugees and Asylum seekers from Iran:
scope and directions .................................................................................54
2.4. Emigration of students and brain drain from Iran:
scope and directions .................................................................................60
2.5. Labor Emigration, problems of statistics, scope,
and dynamics ...............................................................................................70
2.6. Iranian immigrants in Russia .................................................................75
3. Iranian diaspora and the connection with the homeland .......................86
3.1. Forms of interaction between the diaspora
and the homeland ......................................................................................86
3.2. Remittances and development ..............................................................94
3.3. State policy of attracting Iranian qualified specialists
and investment .........................................................................................103
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................112
List of abbreviations and used designations ......................................................117
References .......................................................................................................................118
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LIST OF TABLES, GRAPHS,
FIGURES AND MAPS
Table 1–1. Two approaches to migration and development .......................19
Table 1–2. Characteristics of diaspora ................................................................24
Table 1–3. Diasporas’ donation means................................................................ 27
Table 1–4. Diasporas’ contributions .....................................................................29
Table 1–5. Population of Iran based on gender
and citizenship, 2016 ........................................................................... 37
Table 1–6. Iran’s youth ratio based on Wertheim test,
1957–2016 ..............................................................................................38
Table 1–7. Iran’s sex ratio based on urban and rural area,
1957–2016 ..............................................................................................39
Table 1–8. Average age of men and women at the first marriage,
1957–2019 ..............................................................................................40
Table 1–9. Literacy rate for urban and rural areas based
on gender, 1957–2017 ........................................................................41
Table 1–10. Number of students in Iran for academic
year 2019 .................................................................................................41
Table 1–11. University students based on education level,
2007–2018 ..............................................................................................42
Table 2–1. Iran’s migration patterns for the last 70 years ...........................48
Table 2–2. Iran’s net number of migrants, and comparison
with different parts of the world, 1990–2020 ...........................50
Table 2–3. Total migrant stock at mid-year, 1990–2019 ..............................51
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Table 2–4. Iranian migrant population change, 1990–2019 ......................52
Table 2–5. Iranian migrants’ stock based on the geographic
regions, 1990–2019............................................................................53
Table 2–6. Share of Iranian refugees and asylum seekers
in the world, 1990–2020 ...................................................................58
Table 2–7. Inflows of asylum seekers by nationality (Iranians)
in OECD countries, 2000–2019 .......................................................59
Table 2–8. Emigrants living in OECD countries, 2000/01
and 2015/16. ...........................................................................................63
Table 2–9. Number of international students in the world
and share of Iranian international students,
2013–2018 .............................................................................................64
Table 2–10. Iranian international students’ migration
in the world, 2018 .................................................................................64
Table 2–11. Number of Iranians in Russian federal districts
and the top ten Russian cities and regions with
the highest number of Iranians, 2020 ........................................... 77
Table 3–1. Iran’s remittances sent and received, 2010–2017 ....................95
Graph 1–1. Iran’s Population change from 1957–2020 .................................36
Graph 1–2. Iran’s Age- Gender pyramid 2020 .....................................................38
Graph 1–3. Iran’s number of Births and Deaths in years
1998–2019 .............................................................................................39
Graph 1–4. Iran’s number of Births and Deaths in years
1990–2019 .............................................................................................40
Graph 1–5. Iran’s Real GDP growth (Annual percent
change) from 1980 to 2020, in comparison
with advanced, emerging and developing
economies and the world. ..................................................................43
Graph 1–6. Iran’s GDP per capita, current prices (U.S. dollars
per capita) from 1980 to 2020, in comparison with
advanced economies, emerging and developing
economies and world. ..........................................................................44
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Graph 1–7. Iran’s Inflation rate, average consumer prices
(Annual percent change) from 1980 to 2020,
in comparison with advanced economies, emerging
and developing economies and world. ..........................................44
Graph 1–8. Iran’s Unemployment rate (Percent)
from 1990 to 2020, in comparison with
advanced economies. ...........................................................................45
Graph 2–1. Distribution of Iranian migrant population
in top 10 destination countries in 2019 .......................................54
Graph 2–2. Total number of Refugees, Asylum seekers
and pending cases from Iran 1980–2020 .................................... 57
Graph 2–3. Distribution of Iranian refugees in top 10
destinations, 2018 ................................................................................58
Graph 2–4. Top 15 destinations for Iranian international
students ....................................................................................................65
Graph 2–5. Iranian Currency rate change in the market
and the rate announced by the central bank
of Iran from 2011–2020.....................................................................73
Graph 2–6. Minimum salary and Yearly change in Iran
from 2010–2020 ...................................................................................74
Graph 3–1. Inflow of remittances to Iran in from
1991–2019 .............................................................................................96
Graph 3–2. Share of remittances to GDP of Iran from
1993–2017 .............................................................................................. 97
Graph 3–3. Outflow of remittances from Iran in 2017
by countries ............................................................................................. 97
Graph 3–4. Inflow of remittances to Iran in 2017
by countries .............................................................................................98
Figure 1–1. Role of remittances in development ..............................................32
Figure 1–2. Demographic transition model ........................................................34
Figure 2–1. People who leave the country ..........................................................61
Figure 2–2. Contemporary reasons of emigration from Iran .........................70
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Figure 2–3. Iran’s labor index of 2018, in 1000 persons ................................72
Figure 3–1. Means of interaction of diaspora with homeland .....................89
Figure 3–2. Direction and use of remittances
in the economy of Iran ......................................................................102
Map 2–1. Share of registered Iranian immigrants
per 10,000 people in Russia, 2020 .................................................78
Map 2–2. Share of Iranian students per 10,000 students
in Russia, 2020 .......................................................................................81
Map 2–3. Share of Iranians visiting Russia with working
purposes per 10,000 working population, 2020 ........................85
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