Trend Changes and Migration Patterns in the Border Provinces of Iran

According to the settlement of half of the countrys population in the border provinces and their importance of security for the country, the recognition of the migration process in these provinces is important for demographic and socio-economic policy makers. Migration changes the identity and values of migrant because of its linguistic, social, cultural and psychological consequences. The aim of this paper is to investigate the trend changes and migration patterns in the border provinces of the country over the past two decades. The research method is descriptive and based on statistical analysis of census data. The results show that migration flow have been decreasing in border provinces and their dominant pattern is the increasing of out-of-provincial migrations. As well, the migration trends indicates that provinces of Khouzestan, Kermanshah, and Sistan & Baluchestan always have been the main emigrant polygons, while provinces of Bushehr, Gilan, Mazandaran and Hormozgan have been the main immigrant polygons during these years. Finally, the provinces of Ardebil, Ilam, Khouzestan, Sistan & Baluchestan, Kurdistan and Kermanshah always have been emigrants, while Bushehr and Mazandaran always have been immigrants in the past two decades. In general, due to the massive population of working age, low development level, high rates of unemployment and shortage of employment opportunities, it has been increased migration especially out-of-provincial ones in the border provinces.