Constructions of labor market integration by Afghan migrants in Iran

This study was conducted to understand Afghan migrants’ working experiences and integration into Iran’s labor market. Using a systematic grounded theory approach, data were collected through fieldwork among 45 participants. Data were analyzed using constant comparison in open, axial and selective coding stages. “Economic alienation” emerged as the core category. Legal and structural barriers have been identified as major barriers to integrating Afghan migrants into Iran’s labor market. The preference of the Iranian labor market for young migrants with low education was recognized as an intervention condition. It has caused economic alienation in the labor market and ultimately led to a reluctance among migrants to invest in the labor market and uncertainty about the future. The categories obtained show that the process of integration of migrants into the labor market is slow and low.