ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - For years, Rizgar dedicated his every waking hour and worked any job he could get his hands on, in hopes of eking out a living for himself and his family. Yet, haunted by Iran’s ever-dwindling and merciless economy, all of his efforts would prove fruitless, leaving him no choice but to set off on a perilous journey towards Europe in search of a better life.
The depreciation of the Iranian toman, the COVID pandemic, and crippling US sanctions have resulted in mass unemployment, accelerating inflation rates, and mass migration out of Iran in recent years, especially in the country’s western Kurdish region (Rojhelat).
As thousands of Rojhelati youth take on the illegal migration routes towards Europe with dreams of escaping the crises and instabilities at home, the treacherous path, which has already claimed the lives of hundreds in recent years, bodes more tragedy with the coming of winter.
After marrying his beloved of many years, Rizgar was filled with love, hunger for life, and determination to build a perfect one for the two of them, but it was not long before the financial challenges started taking a toll on their marriage, ultimately resulting in a heartbreaking divorce.
Depressed and demotivated, 28-year-old Rizgar decided that life in Marivan was no longer worth living for him, and he is set to migrate towards Europe in the coming weeks.
“I have no reason for happiness here anymore. I only had a car and I have sold that too. I know it is the winter and the road is difficult, but I either die or I get there. I am tired of this life,” he told Rudaw English.
At least two Rojhelati migrants, 31-year-old Hemin Shamamizadeh from Sardasht and 32-year-old Esmail Darabi from Kermanshah’s Sarpol-e Zahab, were found dead at the Belarussian in October, with the cause of death believed to be hypothermia.
After their application for a Schengen visa was rejected, young married couple Kaiwan and Sara from Sanandaj also came to the conclusion that in order to provide a brighter and more fulfilling future for their three-year-old daughter, they would have to take the illegal migration routes towards Europe regardless of the risk this poses to their lives.
“Constantly worrying about the inflation and not knowing what the future holds have tired us. We want our daughter to grow up in a safe and free country. We have two sources of income, yet we can barely make do. Sometimes we even have to borrow money,” said Kaiwan.
“That is why we have decided to migrate illegally. We know the path is dangerous and risky, but we have made our final decision. We have agreed with the smuggler to pay him 10,000 euros per person the moment we get to Germany,” he added.
Around 65,000 people emigrate from Iran on a yearly basis, mostly well-educated individuals seeking to continue their studies or more generally on a quest for an overall higher quality of life abroad, according to the Tehran-based independent outlet Donya-e-Eqtesad which predicted the number will increase in the coming years.
Translated and written by Chenar Chalak
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