Chief of the Kurdistan Province Labor Council acknowledged widespread unemployment among young men and women.
“Kurdistan Province is in very poor conditions in regards to employment. A large number of young men and women, and college graduates are seen selling goods on the streets or carrying heavy loads through border crossings,” Shaker Ibrahim said on Friday.
“On social media we see video footages of educated Kurdistan men with heavy loads on their backs trying to make ends meet. Should there be any planning to create jobs for these young men and women who have spent years studying in the country’s most credible universities?” he asked.
“Many educated youths in Kurdistan have reached dead-ends, and have no place to turn to, and they start smuggling goods. These individuals could have been living a normal life like others, but unfortunately many are not having an adequate life and have even lost their lives,” Ibrahim added.
In the past there have been many news reports of these load carriers being shot at by state police and border troops, and killed or injured as a result. The systematic repetition of these incidents raised dissent amongst locals. Regime officials even expressed concern of such protests.
A number of Iranian MPs called on the interior minister to explain why border patrols were opening fire on the load carriers, according to the Entekhab website.
Many young men in this area are forced to resort to such work despite the very low pay.
Kurdistan is one of the three provinces in Iran with youth unemployment higher than the country’s average, according to the latest the statistical reports.
On the morning of June 23rd two load carriers were shot at directly by border police, one killed and the other injured. The day before another load carrier was also killed due to direct fire.
Source » ncr-iran