The Migratory Dynamics of the Iranian Diaspora Since the 1979 Revolution

More than thirty-six years after the birth of the Islamic republic, what are the Iranian migratory rhythms and flows in the world? To speak about the Iranian diaspora, requires taking into account the trajectories of men and women who initiated and, then, staked this new tradition marked by the particular historical circumstances from the beginning of the 1979 revolution which caused a massive exodus abroad. From Iran to the four corners of the world, how are they spread over the five continents? What are the socio-economic profiles of the current four generations living in diaspora? Can we really put a precise figure on the number of people who make up the Iranian diaspora?
The aim of this paper is to answer these questions by presenting a quantitative review of the Iranian diaspora on the basis of sociological research which has been taking place over a period of 15 years in Europe, in the USA and in the neighboring countries.
This diaspora groups four generations of Iranians having emigrated abroad, and their descendants, born either in or outside of Iran, but who still identify with their Iranian origins. The political structure of the Iranian republic, the eight years of war, the demographic transformation of the Iranian population, the interference of the religious authorities in daily life and the frustration of the Iranians concerning human development, make up the structural and individual factors of the sociological reproduction of this diaspora, which we will be able to discuss during my intervention.