Why Iranians Flee On False Passports

Most analysts do not believe the two Iranians who used stolen passports to board the doomed Malaysia Airlines flight were terrorists. So why were they on the plane? The most probable reason being… they were simply hoping to find a better life in the West. Decades of debilitating, punitive sanctions have destroyed Iran’s economy, environment, and health-care system. Sanctions have all but halted imports of refined gas, so the air has become laden with deadly pollution that forces schools and offices to remain closed in the colder months. Asthma is an increasing ailment among young children, while asthma inhalers are scarce at best.

And that’s not the only shortage… Common, lifesaving medications are unavailable, forcing Iranian doctors to experiment with expired or counterfeit drugs. The sanctions, imposed on the Iranian people in retaliation for their government’s nuclear program, amount to a hidden, low-grade warfare. It’s no surprise that hundreds of thousands of Iranians are boarding planes with fake documents or hanging off the sides of small boats in an attempt to escape to the West. Perhaps the thought of two Iranians on the missing flight can enlighten the world to the consequences of sanctions and global displacement.