Experts and researchers in the fields of sociology and social policy in Iran believe that the lives of refugees are not only a unique experience of their conditions, but also a window to understanding the complexities of Iranian society. At a specialized meeting on the “Situation of Afghan Refugees in Iran” in Tehran, these experts introduced the lives of refugees as an opportunity to reinterpret concepts such as time, place, law, and belonging in modern society, and warned that ignoring their lived experiences, even in charitable actions, can reproduce inequalities.
Publish dateSaturday 29 November 2025 - 13:39
Story Code : 338497
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Tehran: The 24th specialized meeting on the “Situation of Afghan Refugees in Iran” entitled “Not Only for Afghans; Why is Addressing the Lives of Refugees Important for Everyone?” was held on Wednesday evening, Nov 26, by the Rahel Legal Association at the Tehran House of Thinkers.
The specialized meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Reza Ataei, secretary of the Rahel Association’s socio-political working group, focused on the human and sociological dimensions of migration, and examined in detail the lives of migrants in Iran. Going beyond conventional analyses, the speakers introduced the lives of migrants as a microscope for examining the more general structures of society.
Elmir Sadat Ali-Hosseini, a postdoctoral researcher in anthropology at the University of Tehran, criticized the dominant discourse on migration, saying: “In the common view, migrants are either portrayed as absolute victims or as threats and aggressors. This black-and-white perspective prevents understanding the real complexities of the lives of migrants and Iranian citizens.” Introducing the concept of the “threshold situation,” she explained that the lives of migrants challenge linear and standard notions of time and space in modern nation-states; from uncertain dates of birth to interrupted educational and career paths, even leaving a city or country can have unpredictable difficulties.
Ali-Hosseini introduced the way out of this analytical impasse by focusing on “everyday morality” and concrete examples of brotherhood and sisterhood between different Iranian and Afghan ethnicities in diverse demographic neighborhoods. He showed that these human and informal relationships reflect legal shortcomings and the reactions of individuals with multi-layered identities to them.
In another part of the session, Maryam Ashour, a social policy researcher, narrated the painful life of “Zahra,” a migrant woman in the brick kilns, warning that social activism without a close and correct understanding of the lives of individuals can lead to the continuation of inequality. “Justice is not a given commodity; it is a participatory matter,” she said.
Ashour emphasized that until we eliminate the human distance from the “other,” even charitable actions can become a form of “hidden xenophobia.”
This meeting demonstrated that understanding the phenomenon of migration requires a shift from purely statistical and policy-based perspectives to listening to micro-narratives and lived experiences. This shift in perspective is not a theoretical choice, but a prerequisite for making fair and intelligent decisions about a shared future in Iran.
The specialized meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Reza Ataei, secretary of the Rahel Association’s socio-political working group, focused on the human and sociological dimensions of migration, and examined in detail the lives of migrants in Iran. Going beyond conventional analyses, the speakers introduced the lives of migrants as a microscope for examining the more general structures of society.
Elmir Sadat Ali-Hosseini, a postdoctoral researcher in anthropology at the University of Tehran, criticized the dominant discourse on migration, saying: “In the common view, migrants are either portrayed as absolute victims or as threats and aggressors. This black-and-white perspective prevents understanding the real complexities of the lives of migrants and Iranian citizens.” Introducing the concept of the “threshold situation,” she explained that the lives of migrants challenge linear and standard notions of time and space in modern nation-states; from uncertain dates of birth to interrupted educational and career paths, even leaving a city or country can have unpredictable difficulties.
Ali-Hosseini introduced the way out of this analytical impasse by focusing on “everyday morality” and concrete examples of brotherhood and sisterhood between different Iranian and Afghan ethnicities in diverse demographic neighborhoods. He showed that these human and informal relationships reflect legal shortcomings and the reactions of individuals with multi-layered identities to them.
In another part of the session, Maryam Ashour, a social policy researcher, narrated the painful life of “Zahra,” a migrant woman in the brick kilns, warning that social activism without a close and correct understanding of the lives of individuals can lead to the continuation of inequality. “Justice is not a given commodity; it is a participatory matter,” she said.
Ashour emphasized that until we eliminate the human distance from the “other,” even charitable actions can become a form of “hidden xenophobia.”
This meeting demonstrated that understanding the phenomenon of migration requires a shift from purely statistical and policy-based perspectives to listening to micro-narratives and lived experiences. This shift in perspective is not a theoretical choice, but a prerequisite for making fair and intelligent decisions about a shared future in Iran.
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