Iran’s political factors towards Afghan refugees: trends of ethnonational consolidation and changing priorities of regionalism

Abstract

The relevance of this article’s research topic lies in the complex multi-polar factors of Iran’s policy toward Afghan refugees. Its significance is predetermined by the scale and nature of Afghan refugees and labor migrants in Iran due to the explosive conflict and political instability. The article notes that, despite a number of ethnonational issues, Iranian authorities still demonstrate confidence that Afghans educated in Iran are already capable of forming a stratum that can play a significant role in the reconstruction of modern Afghanistan. At the same time, it is important to consider the impact of globalization and regionalization on the development of Iranian and Afghan multi-ethnic societies. In this context, we observe how, even despite certain successes of globalization in terms of social and economic progress, these countries are facing fierce resistance to societal modernization; they are retreating, returning to their traditional positions. This resistance appears to be deeply rooted in the very nature of their cultures. This is precisely why, in the current context of the transformation of the global community and the emergence of a new system of international relations, the complex nature of ethnonational processes and the specific nature of relations between Iran and Afghanistan, which are drawn into this process, are of primary concern. The current stage of global development is characterized by the emergence of new values, new orientations, and the formation of a unified social and spiritual global space linking diverse cultures and peoples. At the same time, opposing trends in the search for self-identification in a globalizing world and the desire of peoples to preserve their uniqueness and distinctiveness, expressed in culture, language, religion, and the revival of national traditions, are becoming significant.