Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday called for the return of Iranians living abroad and urged coordination between the judiciary and intelligence services to ease concerns, despite past detentions of returnees.
“We must create a framework for Iranians abroad to return comfortably and without fear, and this requires coordination with the judiciary and the Ministry of Intelligence,” Pezeshkian said during a meeting at the foreign ministry.
“These individuals are also assets of this land,” he added, appealing for their reintegration. His remarks followed a state media interview one day earlier in which Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Reza Salehi Amiri said, “This land belongs to you, and we are rolling out the red carpet.”
Yet the government’s invitation comes against a record that has left many expatriates wary. In recent years, dual and foreign-based nationals returning to Iran have faced arrests, lengthy interrogations, and prison sentences often without formal charges being made public.
Nasrin Roshan, an Iranian-British dual citizen, was detained at Tehran’s Khomeini airport in November 2023 while trying to leave the country. She was held for 550 days before being freed in May, after repeated inquiries by rights groups and British officials.
In another case, Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh returned to Iran in early 2024 after a 14-year absence. Within days, he was taken to Evin Prison’s Ward 209 and sentenced in December to 10 years by the Revolutionary Court. His family said he had returned only for a family visit.
The Iranian parliament last week passed the general outline of a bill titled “Support for Iranians Abroad,” backed by 209 lawmakers. The draft law includes measures such as easing entry and exit, offering consular support, reviewing dual citizenship policies, and facilitating academic and investment opportunities.
But critics in parliament questioned its likely impact.
“Until domestic issues such as administrative corruption, a weak banking system, and lack of meritocracy are resolved, this bill will not encourage Iranians to return,” MP Ahmad Fatemi of Babol said earlier this month.
Despite the doubts, Pezeshkian has consistently urged diaspora engagement. In a July 14 message, he told expatriates, “We must join hands and strive for the dignity of our country.”
A nationwide survey in December 2024 titled “Migration of Iranians: Causes and Motives” found that while 19 percent of 12,000 respondents lived abroad, only a fifth of them expressed any interest in returning.
Only 16 percent of Iranians are not considering emigration, according to this study.
