Who is on the way?
Tehran today, Istanbul or Toronto tomorrow. No problem; at least for a small part of the world's people. Most face barriers that are more or less impassable: a passport that reaches fewer than fifty destinations without a visa, the embassy queue, «visa refused». Iran is both a country of emigration and one of the world's largest hosts of refugees. How could the chance to move, the freedom to choose where to live, and the possibility of staying in one place be shared more fairly? Behind us are centuries in which colonial powers and nation states decided the world's fate; that still shapes how people move. But what lies ahead? Can we imagine a world where everyone moves freely and feels at home wherever they are?
Written by us
Sources
- The Iranian passport in the Henley index: rank 95; about 45 destinations visa-free or with a visa on arrival — Henley Passport Index, Dey 1404 (January 2026)
- Afghans living in Iran: about 4 million with varied legal statuses — UNHCR; ACAPS, ۱۴۰۵
- Iranians abroad: about 4 million; other estimates higher — Foreign Ministry; Iran Migration Observatory, ۱۴۰۳(cited)

