Staying or Re-migrating (A Study of the Factors Affecting the Instability of Return Migration among the Specialists and Professional Iranian Workforce)

Authors

Department of Iranian Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jisr.2024.376181.1502

Abstract

For decades, Iran has been known to be one of the countries that send immigrants, especially the specialists and professional workforce. However, the matter of their return has not been comprehensively addressed. Therefore, this research has investigated the reasons for the instability of Iranian returns by examining the intention (potential or actual) of remigration among returnees, thereby addressing the broader topic of return migration of Iranians.
33 samples were randomly selected from the educated population who returned to Iran between 1990 and 2021, which is the subject of the study. The “thematic” analysis technique is supported by the “Social Welfare Theory” by “Fitzpatrick” as the base theory, while the “in-depth interview” method is used for data collection.
The findings indicate that the instability of returns is influenced by four main categories, each of which comprises its own specific sub-categories. The most frequently occurring codes pertain to “unfavorable economic circumstances,” which are investigated under the two subcategories of “insufficient income” and “ideal retirement conditions abroad.” Three additional primary categories, “collective life challenges,” “psychological drivers,” and “tendency to commute,” were perceived as additional factors that influenced re-migration. All factors that have been mentioned are classified under the umbrella term “physiological needs.”
The results reveal that the instability of return migration in Iran is not inherently attributable to the interviewees’ dissatisfaction or frustration (either absolute or relative) with the current conditions of Iran. Nevertheless, some individuals elect to migrate again to enhance their knowledge and professions.

Keywords

References

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Quarterly of Social Studies and Research in Iran
Volume 13, Issue 4 - Serial Number 53
December 2024
Pages 533-549

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