Continued Migration Trend Will Deplete the Country of Experts

The Migration of Specialists Threatens to Deplete the Country of Experts

The migration of specialists has been highlighted in the annual report of Digikala for the year 2024. The report details that 75 specialists left Digikala last year with the intent of migrating abroad. Renowned sociologist Mohammad Fazeli has written a note on this subject for Digikala, drawing attention to the potential depletion of the country’s expert pool.

Fazeli, who has conducted extensive research on migration, notes the following:

“Last year, I conducted a study on migration causes and motivations by designing and distributing a questionnaire. This questionnaire received 11,157 responses from both within and outside Iran between July 9 and July 20, 2023. The analysis of this data revealed significant findings. However, a particularly alarming piece of data I recently received from one of Digikala’s managers is that 75 specialists from the company migrated last year, including 32 specialists in the field of information technology.

I would like to highlight the importance of this data from two perspectives and consider the implications for addressing migration issues and the future of Iran, especially for companies in need of specialized human resources, based on these findings and analyses.

Firstly, let’s consider the following points regarding the migration of specialized human resources in Iran:

Decreased Specialist Capacity:

Migration, especially when it becomes widespread, reduces the country’s capacity of specialized human resources. Other countries are competing to attract Iran’s top intellectual and skilled workforce, and the supply of such talent is critically limited. As migration increases, the shortage of necessary human resources for the survival and advancement of Iranian society becomes more acute.

Insufficient Replacement:

Although migration is a global phenomenon, it is more critical for countries like Iran where migration outflows are not matched by corresponding inflows of high-quality specialists. Countries such as European nations, the United States, Japan, and Australia are both sources and destinations of skilled migrants, but this is not the case for Iran.

Network Effect:

Migration acts as a network force. Each individual who migrates has a network of friends, acquaintances, and colleagues who are also influenced or motivated to migrate. This network effect is stronger among specialized human resources who have more extensive connections and opportunities abroad.

Revealing Societal Issues:

The intensification of migration highlights underlying issues in Iranian society. While some of these issues are glaringly evident, the consequences can be better understood through migration analysis. Unfortunately, the impact of the extensive migration affecting just one company, with 75 specialized managers, does not seem to be fully recognized or addressed with the necessary urgency.

Mindset Shift:

Migration has become a significant concern for many people. Without a serious and comprehensive approach to understanding the phenomenon and tracking the outcomes of emigrants, the problem is likely to worsen.

Secondly, while the above reasons emphasize the importance of addressing this issue, I want to complement the 75 specialists who migrated from Digikala with data from last year’s study to shed more light on the issue. The data indicated that among those who were definitively migrating and about to leave Iran, 64.7% were engaged in four key areas: technical and engineering services, health and wellness, education and research, and information technology.

Notably, IT specialists were ranked fourth among those who were definitively migrating. If 75 specialists from a single large company like Digikala migrated within a year, and 32 of them were IT specialists, and if IT specialists were only the fourth highest category according to the study, it is evident that the situation for specialists in technical and engineering fields, health and wellness, and education and research is likely even more critical.

The continuation of this trend will leave the country devoid of experts. Iran, which needs specialists to compensate for economic losses from a lost decade, cannot ignore the ongoing situation. Urgent action is needed to address the root causes of this issue. Remember, every specialist who leaves the country acts as a bridge, guiding other specialists to follow suit.”