Immigration and Revolution in Iran: Asylum politics and State Consolidation

Abstract. In May 2019, remarks by the then Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi implying Iran might ask Afghans to leave country as U.S. sanctions tightened sparked widespread criticism from various segments of Iranian society. Critics civil society and political factions accused using leverage extract concessions Europe, ignoring revolutionary ideals. Drawing on literature emphasising role mobilities in shaping state, we posit that migration politics related social dynamics are an integral element state formation post-revolutionary Iran, offering insights into nature Iran’s system. We argue Islamic Republic’s immigration asylum reflect both legacy a system striving for normalization, looking at how regime was formed, encompassing institutionalization governance, ad hoc policies, diplomacy, conflicting factions, bottom-up pressures.