Iranian Refugees in Transit: Exile and the Politics of Survival in Turkey after the 1979 Revolution

(Paperback)

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Maral Jefroudi presents a comprehensive picture of one of the largest migration waves in contemporary history by analyzing refugees interactions with the Turkish State, the UNHCR, and within the community of Iranians in transit after the 1979 revolution.

Iranian Refugees in Transit unveils the rich history of political engagement among Iranian refugees before their arrival in Turkey, contextualised within Turkeys own landscape of political and ethnic conflicts. Jefroudi expertly examines the intersectional distribution of precarity among refugees. By bringing together interviews with refugees from the period, analyzing cultural products by and on them, and tracing their footsteps in newspapers and scholarly literature, this book fills a significant gap in Turkeys migration history. Through a critical historical analysis of the international asylum
system, Iranian Refugees in Transit offers valuable insights into the dynamics of the current refugee crisis.

Reviews

This book captures the poignant journey of Iranian leftist refugees in transit across Turkey post-1979 through a compelling narrative rich with migrant footstep tales. Jefroudi draws from novels, biographies, and films to offer a deep exploration of the struggle of refugees within the fortified borders of Europe. With thick dialogue, the book becomes a profound testament to the enduring struggle of displaced people and the global policies aimed at making borders impenetrable. * Shahrzad Mojab, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada *
This book is a very humane and sympathetic study of Iranian refugees in transit through Turkey. It is especially rich in throwing light on the strong ethics and world outlook of leftist activists from Iran in the aftermath of the 1979 Revolution. -- Ervand Abrahamian, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, Baruch College, CUNY, US
The first sustained study of transit migration, Iranian Refugees in Transit is a welcome intervention in migration studies. With a historical focus on Iranian political asylum seekers in Turkey during the critical post-revolutionary period, the author brings together a wealth of ethnographic, literary, and filmic resources to provide much-needed critical attention to the impact of third-country migration and asylum policies on the life trajectories of migrants transiting through those borders. Jefroudis analysis raises critical questions about international migration policies, gender, and migration studies that will resonate with specialists in the field, as well as the wider public. * Janet L. Bauer, Professor, Trinity College, USA *

Author Bio

Maral Jefroudi is Co-Director of the International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE), Amsterdam. She studied in Bogazii University, Istanbul and received her PhD from the International Institute of Social History (IISH) and Leiden University in 2017. She is a co-editor of Iran in the Middle East: Transnational Encounters and Social History (2015, I.B. Tauris).