Segregated Spaces, Shared Lives: A Mixed Inquiry Into Afghan Immigrant Settlement in Iran

ABSTRACT

Immigrant residency and settlement remain contentious issues in destination societies. This study examines the residential perceptions and patterns of Afghan immigrants in Iran, addressing two central questions: What mechanisms and conditions influence the residential patterns of immigrants? How do immigrants perceive their residential circumstances? Using a Concurrent‐Embedded Mixed‐Methods approach, data were collected through fieldwork with 55 participants and supported by secondary sources. This design gathered qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously, with the quantitative insights embedded within the qualitative analysis. The categories identified from the analysis include: centralization, concentration, unevenness, immigrant‐dependent economic sectors, interpersonal and social boundaries, bonding/bridging social capital, civic and cultural participation, socio‐economic status, legal and policy constraints and settlement duration. Together, these categories point to residential segregation as the core category. The findings show that at the national level, Afghan immigrants are predominantly concentrated in major cities and metropolises due to state residential policies. At the regional level, they also settle mostly in provincial capitals due to government policies regulating the allocation of migrants. Locally, their concentration is highest in specific neighborhoods—often on the urban periphery—driven by socio‐economic conditions, social ties and duration of stay.