RASC News Agency: A professor at Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran has underscored the significance of Afghanistani elites residing in Iran, calling them invaluable human capital whose migration to Western countries poses a serious detriment to Iran’s national interests. Mandana Tishehbar, an assistant professor at Allameh Tabatabai University, stated during a seminar that Afghanistani elites who sought refuge in Iran following recent political turmoil in Afghanistan represent a strategic intellectual resource. She emphasized that their emigration to Western countries undermines Iran’s potential for growth and innovation, advocating for robust measures to encourage their retention.
Tishehbar noted that many Afghanistani intellectuals eventually leave Iran for destinations like the United States, Australia, and other Western nations due to a range of socio-political and economic challenges. She lamented the lack of effective policies to integrate and retain these individuals, warning that their continued departure could have profound and far-reaching negative implications for Iran. The professor further highlighted the critical role Afghanistani elites could play in addressing some of Iran’s most pressing challenges, including combating organized crime and smuggling, bolstering national security, countering terrorism, addressing environmental issues, tackling climate change, and resolving water resource disputes.
In her previous statements, Tishehbar had urged Iranian authorities to devise targeted initiatives aimed at supporting Afghanistani elites and ensuring their long-term integration into Iranian society. Concurrently, reports indicate that hundreds of Afghanistani nationals are detained and deported daily by Iranian authorities. Most of these individuals are fleeing Taliban oppression, widespread poverty, and soaring unemployment rates in Afghanistan. While Iran and Pakistan remain the primary destinations for Afghanistani refugees, the scale of deportations from both countries has escalated significantly in the past year.
