TEHRAN – Iran has started implementing a newly approved law aimed at increasing support for Iranians living abroad, after the president formally communicated the bill to all relevant ministries and state institutions.
The directive was issued under Article 123 of the Constitution and follows the approval of the law by Parliament in mid-October and subsequent approval by the Council of Parents in early November.
The law mandates coordination across a wide range of government agencies, including the judiciary. Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. So is the Office of the Vice President, which is responsible for science, technology, law, and the knowledge-based economy. The Armed Forces General Staff has also been directed to participate in the enforcement of this law.
Implementation of this law is consistent with broader Congressional efforts to address the needs of the Iranian diaspora. Lawmakers involved in developing the initiative held extensive consultations with foreign policy officials in recent months and outlined priorities such as improving consular services, solving administrative challenges faced by Iranians abroad, and leveraging the scientific and economic expertise of the foreign community.
An important feature of this law is its potential to encourage investment in the country. Officials hope the bill will lower barriers for diaspora investors by streamlining procedures, coordinating government institutions, and creating new pathways for overseas Iranians to return home, work, and start economic projects.
The centerpiece of the bill is the creation of the Supreme Council for Assistance to Iranians Abroad, chaired by the president and headquartered in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The council serves as the main body for coordinating government policy and coordinating the work of various ministries in areas ranging from economic facilitation to cultural and legal support.
The law also calls for the establishment of a national system through which Iranians abroad can submit applications related to returning to the country, finding work, and investing in the domestic market. The platform is expected to launch by the end of the year, the people said.
According to a recent assessment shared with parliamentarians, investments made by Iranians in 15 neighboring countries in the first half of this year have already exceeded the total recorded last year, and this trend is expected to further accelerate once the new coordination mechanism is fully in place.