The term “Kolbar” is a painful one for people due to the occurrence of some bitter events, such as the killing and death of Kolbars in the snowy mountains of Kurdistan. It is a pain that is caused by the lack of jobs, factories and workshops in their hometowns, and the deprivation of any remedy for it. Officials have no intention of eradicating Kolbari and every day, many Kolbars fall victim to this false profession. In Sardasht, when the dam was built, they didn’t even use local workers for simple jobs and instead brought in workers from other cities. In these circumstances, when people are pushed to the margins, they are forced to become Kolbars and earn a small amount of money. Kurdistan is one of the underprivileged provinces of Iran in terms of economy and less attention has been paid to its development, causing it to fall behind in the development process. The border and Kolbar routes in this province have acted as an alternative

About the situation of “Kolbars” (border couriers) with a few Kolbars who work on the border, there was a conversation.

Samaneh Mohammadi.

The person who has a bachelor’s degree and is on the border of Kilakolbar says: “We always live in times where inflation increases day by day and young people like me are forced to enter the dangerous world of Kilakolbar in order to meet basic needs without any enjoyment of life. It is not possible to find employment without government quotas. Kilakolbari is not a profession and the income from it is not enough to cover three days of living. The difficulties of the road, deep and slippery valleys, and border guards who are constantly shooting at Kilakolbars are among the dangers of this job.”

Mohsen Abdollahi.‌

New.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in architecture and is not employed anywhere. He is unemployed and is forced to work as a border courier. Mohsen says, “I felt like I was being discriminated against. Despite having a university degree, because I have no connections, I am not employed and I used to work as a border courier in the “Koonehmeshkeh”, “Kanizard”, and “Dolehbi” border areas. The reason for resorting to border courier work was to cover the expenses of university, but border courier work never covered even the expenses of one person. My two brothers and I used to work as border couriers, but we still couldn’t support our family financially. Therefore, border courier work is not a job and in my opinion, it is simply a choice between dying of hunger at home or dying with a bullet in the mountains, which may be a quicker and easier death. I have worked as a border courier in all the

Muslim Ahmadi.

Until the first year of high school, he studied. He is a kolbar on the border of Sardasht and Baneh. He says, “Every night, I go to kolbari for clothing and household items. Direct shooting by border guards, falling from mountains, and freezing in the cold are all dangers of kolbari. I do kolbari because of economic poverty and not having a job.”

Mohammad is a guarantor and cargo owner at the Piranshahr border, and kolbars work for him. He says, “I import goods from Iraq through kolbars with my own guarantee. The kolbars’ wages range from four hundred thousand to one million tomans.” He talks about the danger to the lives of kolbars, saying, “I know the lives of kolbars are in danger, the route is difficult and some of them are even killed by direct shooting, but we are forced to bring goods through unofficial borders because Iran does not allow foreign goods to enter through official borders.”

Kolbari at the borders.

Border markets can be a solution for the current situation and until Kurdistan reaches sustainable development, the only way to escape economic recession and prevent unemployment. Kurdistan shares a 220-kilometer border with Iraq. In the past, people on both sides of the border used to exchange goods and daily necessities. However, with the introduction of various products and changes in the lifestyle of residents, this process has undergone changes in recent decades. In addition to basic goods, border residents also exchanged other items, and this process became known as “kolbari” and was recognized as a profession for border residents to earn a living. The authorities of the Islamic Republic consider kolbari as a form of smuggling, but many critics, activists, and human rights activists describe it not as a way to make a living, but as the only way to survive for a group of citizens and their families who are struggling with poverty and unemployment.

Reasons for the formation of smuggling.

In the provinces of Kurdistan, Kermanshah, West Azerbaijan, and Sistan and Baluchestan, there is no necessary infrastructure to encourage investors to invest. The per capita income in these provinces is lower than half of the average income in Iran and their resources are not being utilized. Neglecting their potential has led to the spread of poverty and high unemployment rates, as well as the emergence of kolbars (illegal border traders). The government’s promises to solve these problems do not bring any joy to the people, as the government is not capable of addressing their issues. The poor living conditions and the lives of kolbars are not their main concern. Many people living on the borders have become victims of kolbari, poverty, and deprivation. They are forced to become kolbars and no one is thinking about creating better job opportunities for them.

Solutions for resolving the issue of coolbars.

The sustainable development plan with a comprehensive and development-oriented approach to solving the problems of border residents, promoting investment, creating infrastructure, and reducing unemployment rates should be a top priority for the government. Iraq has always been a target country for Iranian exports, with over five billion dollars worth of Iranian goods exported to this country annually. Official customs with Iraq should receive a discount of ten to twenty percent on import duties and trade profits. This not only meets the import needs, but also boosts activity at official borders and provides good employment opportunities for the region, reducing the need for border smuggling. In order to create employment in rural areas, special subsidies should be allocated for certain occupations such as agriculture, animal husbandry, and cultivation of medicinal plants in the form of facilities and loans, so that people can engage in these occupations and reduce their reliance on border smuggling. Empowering people and improving their awareness and skills through medium-term planning is highly effective.