The role of shared ethnicity in facilitating stepwise migration of educated and skilled individuals: The case of Iranian graduate students in Turkey

Abstract

In this article, we examine the status of Iranian graduate students as stepwise global skilled migrants who enrol at Turkish universities, but with the intention of moving to their final destination country in the West. Based on survey data we analyse their migration strategies and career plans at mezzo-level, and conclude that more than 72 per cent of respondents can indeed be classified as stepwise migrants. First, Turkey is a preferred intermediate country particularly for migration of Iranian graduate students of Turkish‐Azeri ethnolinguistic origins. Second, they use social media to communicate with a global social network of friends to facilitate their move to the final destination country. Third, equipped with accumulated ‘migrant capital’ in Turkey they select a final target country based on its employment prospects, extent of democratic freedoms and the quality of higher education. Finally, while in Turkey, as job seekers they also monitor fluctuations in global demands for skilled workers in their respective disciplines.

Stepwise student migration: A trajectory analysis of Iranians moving from Turkey to Europe and North America

“…Most participants were between 26 and 30 years old, and 63% of the sample were Iranian students of Azerbaijani ethnic background, whereas the rest were of Persian ethnicity. Although it is not possible to retrieve statistics on the ethnic background of Iranian students in Turkey, anecdotal evidence and other research (Sadri & Chaichian, 2018) suggests that, in terms of ethnicity, participants were fairly representative for Iranian students in Turkey at that time.…”

“…It is noteworthy that there have not been any systematic studies of this phenomenon. And, for example, although Sadri and Chaichian (2018) found that 72% of graduate Iranian students intended to migrate stepwise from Turkey, they did not ascertain whether these students migrated in the end.…”

“…With almost 5,600 Iranian students in 2014, Turkey was the second most popular destination country for Iranians after the United States (YÖK [Turkish Council of Higher Education], 2017). Studies have shown that many Iranian students in Turkey intend to migrate stepwise to Europe or North America because they often face restrictions in their capacity to go there directly (Sadri & Chaichian, 2018; Trines , 2017a). Hence, they choose to go to Turkey as a second best option, ‘either as a stepping stone toward the core or as a permanent destination’ (Kondakci, 2011, p. 588).…”

“…So far, few studies have addressed stepwise movements among international students in a systematic way. Of those,that by Sadri and Chaichian (2018) has considered Iranian students in Turkey. Berriane (2015) has also done research on Sub‐Saharan African students in Morocco, of whom the majority wanted to move onward after graduation.…”

“…These students increasingly opt for alternative destinations such as Europe (Trines, 2017a) and prefer regional hubs such as Malaysia and Turkey because of their relatively high‐quality universities, geographic closeness and affordability (Kondakci, Bedenlier, & Zwacki‐Richter, 2018). Some students also see these hubs as stepping stones towards Western destinations (Kondakci, 2011; Sadri & Chaichian, 2018).…”