REFUGEE FLOWS AS A GEOPOLITICAL DETERMINANT: THE CASE OF AFGHANISTAN–IRAN RELATIONS AND REGIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of refugee flows 
on interstate relations within the context of forced migration, 
specifically examining the case of Afghanistan and Iran. The study 
aims to identify how the refugee factor influences the political, 
economic, and security dimensions of the international system. 
Using a qualitative methodology, the research applies systemic 
and comparative analysis alongside a case-study approach. The 
findings show that Iran hosts several million Afghan refugees. 
Refugee flows are not merely passive humanitarian events; they 
function as significant geopolitical factors shaping the dynamics 
of interstate relations. Furthermore, these refugee flows contribute 
to the development of an interconnected political and security 
space across Central Asia. The scholarly novelty of the study 
lies in establishing refugee flows not as isolated phenomena, but 
as integrated determinants that directly affect the dynamics of 
interstate relations.