Spatial Study and Analysis of the Illegal Traffic Route of Afghan Citizens in the Eastern Borders

Immigration and its effects are among the topics that have been studied by countless researchers in the social sciences, including geography and political geography. Illegal entry of foreign nationals from the eastern borders to different cities of Iran, especially Afghan nationals, has long been considered as one of the harms of border control and management. Therefore, the present study is applied and descriptive-analytical in terms of purpose and nature. And by collecting information in the form of libraries and surveys (regular (closed) interviews) with 250 Afghan nationals who have entered Iran illegally from the eastern borders, has studied and analyzed the spatial direction of their traffic. According to the research findings, natural factors (vegetation 18.8%, mountainous and inaccessible areas 53.6%, desert and flat areas 27.6%) have been effective in choosing the route of illegal entry of citizens. From the perspective of the role of human factors in the manner of illegal entry of citizens, according to the survey questionnaires, it can be said that 79.2% of Afghan citizens who entered Iran illegally used local guides, which about 91.6% of Afghans cross the border with the help of smugglers. Using the native way allows smugglers to cross the border safely and easily without encountering border forces. Overall, 67.6% of Afghan illegal immigrants admitted that the main reason for their entry into the country was poor management of border control. The results show that the long borders of Iran and Afghanistan along with various natural disasters (natural factors) as well as the lack of sustainable employment and optimal development (human factors) have affected the way of border control and management. Therefore, the identification of natural and human factors, along with the precise location of the illegal traffic route of citizens, will help to more precisely manage and control the eastern borders of Iran.