Coll 28/29 ‘Persia. Russia. Russian Refugees in Persia.’ [‎10r] (19/411)

3
Enclosure 5 in No. 1.
(Translation.)
Condition of Ref ugees in Persia up to September 1 , 1934.
ALL refugee emigrants into Persia may be divided into three categories :—
1. Political Emigrants. —Which are in the majority Turkomans, Kirghiz,
Russians, Armenians and Jews.
2. Economic Emigrants. —To which category belong the Molokans,^)
who, always living on the frontiers of Russia and Persia, cross from one side oi
th'- frontier to the other depending on the varying economic conditions.
3. Occasional Emigrants. —Include foreigners (non-Russians) running
away from Russia trying to reach their home countries, and criminals flying from
justice.
From April 1932 to April 1934, 13,406 refugees have been registered as
entering Khorassan.(') Of these—
As can be seen, the majority of these emigrants consist oi the nationalities
bordering on Persia, i.e., the inhabitants of Turkistan : iurkomans and Kirghiz.
These knowing the frontier region crossed into Persia in complete settlements
with the remnants of their possessions, their camels, horses, donkeys and house
hold effects. All Turkomans, on reaching Meshed, were put under the control oi
the military headquarters for settlement and distribution by districts. .
In view of the past warlike history of the Turkomans, the Persian Govern
ment appears afraid to grant much freedom to these emigrants, and the military
effect their settlement with this strategy in view. The result has been the cause
of much suffering. No land is made available for them with good climatic
conditions : they are settled in unhealthy areas short of water, or marshy districts,
or those bordering the desert region near Sarakhs.
As an example of the conditions of settlement may be quoted the case of a
group of 300 “ Salir ” Turkomans settled at Bagh Bagu (between Meshed and
Sarakhs) in a marshy district in 1932. During one year 220 died of malaria and
only eighty at present remain alive.
The other Turkomans also exist under difficult and trying conditions. In
these very remote places from the towns they cannot develop their crops, and are
forced to sell them for a song where they stand. They cannot even count on
raising enough for even their own consumption in these remote and unhealthy
districts of Persia.
The solution of this difficulty would be to permit the emigrants themselves
to seek suitable unoccupied districts, and afford them State assistance in the form
of a loan to develop irrigation to render habitable fresh areas for their settlement.
The Kirghiz, exclusively a nomad people who exist by stock-rearing in
Russia, here (in Persia) are forced to become coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. . They have found work in 1
various places and there are no special regulations limiting their freedom of
movement. They are distributed in various districts between Meshed and
Tehran. ( 3 )
Individual registration of these nationalities (Turkoman and Kirghiz) has
not been ordered, only the numbers of the arrivals are noted, since they are
classified by the Persians under one heading, i.e., peasant cultivators or stock
raisers. All other refugees are registered individually.
(!) Note. Molokans are a sect of dissenters from the Orthodox Church resembling- the Quakers in
their refusal to bear arms. They are exclusively cultivators and stock rearers.
( 2 ) >,’ote. —These figures represent, the numbers registered at Meshed, and do not include a large
number who were not registered or crossed the frontier at points remote from Meshed and were
registered elsewhere; refugees entering Asterabad Province are not included. A very large number
of Yamut Turkomans crossed the frontier here last year, probably about 10.000. The total figure for
all refugees from Central Asia for this period is probably nearer 30,000, which is an estimate given by
the Amir Lashkir of the Eastern Army.
(8) Note.—M any are temporarily working on road construction.
Turkomans
Kirghiz
Russians and others
12,000
651
755
[290 c— 8 ]
b 2