IntelliNews

A video has gone viral on Iranian social media, featuring a group of top students who, based on their rank in the university entrance exam, are being questioned about their future plans – and nearly all of them want to emigrate, ROKNA reported.

"Canada or, hopefully, the United States," says a young boy when asked about his preferred destination, "My mother and relatives are all encouraging me to leave Iran."

Economic hardships, intensified by global sanctions, have led to rising unemployment and inflation in Iran. Coupled with political repression, limited freedoms, and human rights concerns, many Iranians feel compelled to seek better opportunities and a freer life abroad. The allure of Western lifestyles and higher education further drives this emigration trend.

Canada and the US were the most popular destinations among the respondents, with some also mentioning Australia, France, and Italy as their preferred migration destinations.

"I might change my mind if I have the chance to find a job related to my field of study that is well-paid," says one of the young men.

Others mentioned improvements in the economic conditions of the country, welfare, and better social conditions as factors that might influence their decisions about leaving Iran.

Nearly all of those interviewed stated that their parents want them to leave.

According to statistics released by the Tehran-based Iran Migration Observatory, Iran's global ranking in terms of sending students abroad has risen from 26th largest in the year 2000 to 17th in 2020.

In 2000, around 17,000 Iranian students went abroad to pursue their educational aspirations, while in 2020, the figure exceeded 66,000.

Currently, it's estimated that 130,000 students from Iran are studying in universities abroad.

Of these, 9,614 are attending universities in the US, placing Iran as the 13th leading country in terms of sending students to American institutions.

That figure would be higher if it were not for the so-called “Muslim ban” by US President Donald Trump, who specifically targeted Iranian immigration under his catch-all term. 

The US, Germany, Turkey, Canada, and Italy are the top five destinations for Iranian students, with Italy using a third-party company in Tehran to exclusively offer visas for those wanting to study and visit the EU nation.

Thousands of online groups on social media platforms, including Telegram messenger and Twitter, discuss ways in which they can enter countries like Canada through the so-called express entry system.

New countries are being added to the list of destinations for which Iranian students apply. One such destination is Russia, which has increasingly pushed international students from Iran to study in Moscow and several other cities.

While in the past, factors such as funded positions, availability of a variety of majors, technological advancements and modern laboratories enticed students to apply for foreign universities, today, negative social, political, cultural, and economic factors have overtaken the former set of encouraging reasons.

In another recent report earlier Ham-Mihan Newspaper said that almost 80% of top students of the University Entrance Exams (Concour in Persian) held between 2000 and 2015 have left the country. The official figure stated in the newspaper is likely to be far larger than what is officially reported.

Over the past forty years, Iran has witnessed a significant outflow of its population, who have sought opportunities in Europe and North America traditionally, but even less well known destinations as Brazil and Finland have also become home to growing numbers of Iranians.

Factors such as nepotism in industries and companies, lack of recognition for talent, diminishing freedoms, and political instability following the protests in recent years have made many young and older people decide they no longer want to hang around.

The rise of the staunchly conservative Ebrahim Raisi to the presidency in 2021, coupled with the economic and societal turmoil under his leadership, has spurred another wave of departures following the Mahsa Amini protests and the handling of that situation.

Despite the Raisi administration's optimistic portrayal of a resilient and progressing nation, many, including those within the leading circles, privately acknowledge the country's impending challenges across various sectors. Also, many of them have been openly criticised as their children are studying in both Canada and the US while the fathers were denouncing Washington at Friday prayers.