Dubbed the “tsunami of immigration,” this crisis is now echoing loudly in many of the regime’s own publications.
On August 22, the Aftab Yazd newspaper pointed to a revealing report that highlighted many elite students, despite scoring highly in university admission exams, were not considering enrolling at local institutions. Instead, their aspirations seemed to be inclined towards migrating, with many already having identified their future countries of residence.
The Bahar News website, a day later, elaborated on the reasons for this alarming surge in migration. It described a “poisoned society,” characterized by the suppression of free speech, mental unrest, rampant unemployment, dwindling incomes, deteriorating living standards, and myriad other challenges.
These citizens are ready to risk displacement and potential family disintegration, making their plight eerily reminiscent of a covert genocide or a silent massacre by the regime.
Adding to the alarm, the Setareh Sobh newspaper on August 23 stated that countless Iranians are now keen on leaving their homeland, regardless of the uncertain fates awaiting them. This perspective underscores a sense of desperation so intense that many are willing to embark on perilous journeys without any guarantee of survival.
It stated that between 2001 and 2016, a staggering 80% of top students in the disciplines of mathematics and physics left Iran, and as of 2018, a mere two out of ten standout students from the class of 2001 remained in the country.
The issue, as Fararu suggested, isn’t just about the country’s policies alienating these students, but also a noticeable apathy among officials regarding this exodus. Such attitudes, however, seem to be in line with the regime’s larger “purification” agenda, aiming to consolidate power and resources among a select loyalist group.
The Etemad newspaper on August 23 highlighted this growing ‘purification’ strategy that began in politics and governance and is now extending to trade unions, civic bodies, and academic institutions. This is corroborated by the Hammihan newspaper’s August 20 report that mentioned a covert government initiative to recruit 15,000 faithful faculty members, essentially sidelining the established educational framework.
It’s clear that these replacements lack the intellectual prowess and qualifications of the departing elites. Instead, they are believed to be members of Basij and other regime loyalists, primarily focused on maintaining the regime’s security agendas and curbing any academic dissent.
Setareh Sobh’s August 23 edition went further, suggesting that certain officials not only overlook the elite’s departure but actively encourage it. These scholars and experts are increasingly viewed as threats, making way for the rise of a new generation lacking in creativity, intelligence, and critical thought.
Such policies, if unchecked, threaten to create a vacuum of intellect and innovation in Iran, possibly leading to long-term consequences for the nation’s progress and global standing.
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