Emigration of highly educated people from Iran
Human capital flight from Iran has been a significant phenomenon since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.[ 1] According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Iran had a substantial drain of highly skilled and educated individuals (15 percent) in the early 1990s.[ 2] More than 150,000 Iranians left the Islamic Republic every year in the early 1990s,[ 3] and an estimated 25 percent of all Iranians with post-secondary education then lived abroad in OECD -standard developed countries .[ 2] [ 4] A 2009 IMF report indicated that Iran tops the list of countries that are losing their academic elite, with a loss of 150,000 to 180,000 specialists—roughly equivalent to a capital loss of US$ 50 billion.[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] In addition, the political crackdown following the 2009 Iranian election protests is said to have created a "spreading refugee exodus" of Iranian intelligentsia .[ 8] It has also been reported that the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States is running a covert operation code-named "Braindrain Project" with the aim of luring away nuclear-oriented Iranian talent, thus undermining Iran's nuclear program .[ 9]
In February 2024, the Iranian government initiated efforts to stem the flow of educated individuals leaving the country, focusing on increased surveillance and potential restrictions on movement.[ 10] [ 11]
^ Mahmoudi, Hassan (21 April 2021). "Iran Loses Highly Educated and Skilled Citizens during Long-Running "Brain Drain" " . migrationpolicy.org . Retrieved 20 March 2022 .
^ a b "IMF research economist Enrica Detragiache and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics economist William J. Carrington in the IMF's quarterly magazine, Finance and Development (v. 36, n. 2 (July 1999)" . Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2011 .
^ Frances Harrison (8 January 2007). "Huge cost of Iranian brain drain" . BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2008 .
^ "Clarification On The 'Brain Drain.' " . Rferl.org. 12 April 2004. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011 .
^ "Iran Faced With Growing Brain Drain: Report" . payvand.com . Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2012 .
^ "Iran Faces Pressure to Provide Jobs, Address Health Disparities by Yvette Collymore" . Prb.org. 7 September 2004. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2011 .
^ Harrison, Frances (8 January 2007). "Huge cost of Iranian brain drain" . BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2007 .
^ "Iran's refugee exodus is exacerbating a brain drain that has stunted the country's development for years." Thousands Flee Iran as Noose Tightens DECEMBER 11, 2009
^ Sanger, David E. (10 June 2010). "Beyond Iran Sanctions, Plans B, C, D and" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 25 July 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017 .
^ "برخورد با دفاتر مهاجرتی برای جلوگیری از مهاجرت بیشتر نخبگان از ایران" .
^ "همکاری بنیاد نخبگان و پلیس گذرنامه؛ مهاجرت هم امنیتی شد" .