WAVES of protest have been sweeping Iranian cities and factories almost constantly for nearly two years. The adventurist foreign policy of the regime, combined with the vindictive sanctions imposed by the United States, have seen ordinary Iranians struggling to put food on the table and pay their bills.

The population in Iran is very young, with 50 per cent being under the age of thirty, born after the 1979 revolution. They do not share the emotional attachment to the revolution of some of the older generation. Many are well educated.

The tightening of sanctions and the intolerance of the regime however are forcing many young people to make stark choices. Leaving friends and family to seek work abroad is an option for those with the resources and qualifications. Increasing numbers are choosing to take this path.

Europe is a popular destination for many young Iranians and according to the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, “more than 47 per cent of Iranian asylum seekers have completed university education.

“Nearly 40 per cent of Iranian asylum seekers have a diploma degree. According to the report, only 9 per cent of Iranians had completed [only] their first year of high school, and no-one among thousands of Iranian refugees was illiterate.”