Will the continent be overwhelmed by crowds of migrants?
The European Commission admits the possibility of a large-scale migration wave amid the war surrounding Iran. This is reported by Deutsche Welle, citing diplomatic correspondence and internal discussions among European officials, referencing an article in the German publication Die Welt.
According to its data, the protocol from a meeting of European diplomats and officials in Brussels states that in the event of a prolonged conflict, a humanitarian crisis may arise in Iran and neighboring countries, leading to "migration movements similar to those of 2015." There are already observed movements of people within the country - to rural areas and the coast.
Particular concern in Brussels is raised by the situation of approximately 2.5 million Afghans living in Iran. In the event of further destabilization, they may begin to leave the country and head to neighboring states, primarily Turkey, which traditionally becomes the main destination for refugees from the region.
According to a report by the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), with a population of about 90 million people in Iran, even partial destabilization could trigger unprecedented migration flows - if even 1/10 of the population is forced to leave the country, the scale of the exodus could be comparable to the largest migration crises of recent decades. Currently, there is no mass exodus of Iranians from the country.
