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Irish Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘This isn't just about a visa. It's about lost futures': Job offers for Iranian scientists in Ireland hit roadblock
Some of Iran 's top medical and scientific professionals say they are 'desperate' to take up work offers in Ireland but are being thwarted by inordinate and 'discriminatory' delays in visas being processed by the Department of Justice's immigration services. Following overnight strikes by Israel against Iran, many say their desperation to take up posts in Ireland has only intensified. Universities and hospitals which want to employ them say delays of up to 20 months are 'very disappointing', 'just wrong' and 'incongruous' given the need for the cohort's skills. Delays have jeopardised important research projects, they add. READ MORE 'Iranian visas [are] just not getting through, at all,' one PhD supervisor said. Job offers to Iranians, including in pharmaceuticals, hospitals, artificial intelligence and financial software development, have had to be withdrawn due to extreme delays. One Dublin hospital said delays were impacting on its 'ability to fill critical posts' and putting 'added pressure on existing teams'. In recent weeks The Irish Times has been contacted by dozens of highly educated Iran-based academics and critical-skills workers who, having submitted documents to support applications for permits to take up fully funded or critical-skills positions months ago, have yet to receive decisions or even updates. Prof Mohammad Reza Shiri-Shahsava at the Qazvin University of Medical Sciences says visa processing times for Iranian PhD candidates have increased from about two months to over a year since early 2024. 'We remain committed to contributing to Ireland's research and workforce development,' he said. 'We believe expedited decisions serve mutual interests, because we are not refugees but rather highly skilled professionals.' Prof Shiri-Shahsava and Assistant Professor Saber Azami-Aghdash at the Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, were offered research positions last year in the UCD Clinical Research Centre under the supervision of Professor Peter Doran. They have not received decisions on their visas, however. 'We advertised the posts spring last year and these two candidates were really impressive. We were really excited to get them,' said Prof Doran. 'These are really top professionals. There is big effort to increase our clinical research and these are exactly the type of people we need. 'They would be working with the team on developing novel designs for clinical research. Their posts are fully funded by the Health Research Board,' said Prof Doran. 'It's really unbelievable that a year on they still have no decision on their visa applications. Not even an update. It's lousy and it's wrong.' Others waiting without news include Bahareh Karimi Douna, offered a fully funded PhD post at UCD's School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, under the supervision of Prof Wim G Meijer. She applied for a visa a year ago. 'Losing this opportunity would shatter years of preparation, sacrifice and shared dreams,' she said. Bahareh Karimi Douna was offered a funded PhD at UCD's School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science a year ago Prof Meijer said Ms Douna came 'top out of over 115 applications from all over the world'. He called for 'clarity' on what is happening with Iranian candidates' visa applications. Maedeh Vahedpour, was offered a fully funded PhD position at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) in December 2023, but lost it in the absence of a decision on her visa. 'We were really impressed with her skills and abilities,' said Dr Lena Madden, senior fellow at TUS. 'However, the position had to be withdrawn as there was no progress in Maedeh's visa after 18 months and contacting the visa office numerous times to stress our urgency and offer reassurances of the university's commitment to host Maedeh. We were very disappointed.' For Ms Vahedpour, the impact has been 'devastating ... This isn't just about a visa. It's about basic human dignity and lost futures,' she said. Dr Leila Ziaee Barsalan, was offered a registrar post in the emergency department of St Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin in late 2023. She applied for a work permit in December 2023. 'Still there is no response. I cannot tell you the level of pressure and stress I have been through since past 17 months and no one is responding properly about where the issue is. 'Last October 2024 they cancelled my job offer, after waiting for me so long. I have been passing some very hard days, but especially after last night's bombs, I am very desperate,' she told The Irish Times on Friday. A hospital spokeswoman could not comment on Dr Barsalan's case but said 'timely recruitment and onboarding of international staff is essential in ensuring continuity of care and supporting clinical service delivery, particularly in areas such as emergency medicine where demand remains high. 'Delays in visa processing can, at times, impact our ability to fill critical posts promptly and place added pressure on existing teams.' The issue has led to protests outside the newly opened Irish consulate in Tehran earlier this year. Protesters outside the Irish consulate in Tehran earlier this year Asked if there were particular issues with Iranian visa applications, how long they were taking to process and why applicants were not being provided with updates during delays, a spokesman for the Department of Justice said there had been a 21 per cent increase in visa applications last year compared with 2023, to more than 35,000. There were 1,111 applications from Iran last year, with decisions made on 756, and to June 11th this year decisions made on 359 of the 518 received.
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Wawasanita eyes export opportunities in Iran, inks 11 LOIs
KUALA LUMPUR: The Women Entrepreneurs Association of Malaysia (Wawasanita) recently signed 11 Letters of Intent (LOIs) with companies in various industries from Iran during the seventh Exhibition of Export Potential of Iran (Iran Expo 2025). Its president, Dr. Norlaili Alias, said the agreements include collaboration in product supply, development of co-branding, exclusive distribution for the Malaysian and Southeast Asian markets, as well as collaboration to import products from Iran, such as health technology, herbal/organic products, and health foods. "Our mission to Iran Expo 2025 as buyers has yielded very encouraging results with joint explorations with countries such as Russia, Turkiye and Kenya. Wawanasita successfully made connections with Iranian investors and entrepreneurs specifically. "This outcome has opened doors for strategic collaborations with local companies that have expertise in various fields such as high-tech medicine, mineral resources, nuts like almonds and walnuts, herbs for health, natural cosmetics, and food based on organic materials," she told Bernama. In addition to successfully establishing business relationships, Norlaili said joint venture for technology transfer as well as expertise exchange between the two countries in various industries was also discussed at the highest levels of their respective companies. ""Trade visits like this provide an opportunity and exposure to all our members domestically, in imports, maturity, and also for young people to venture into international business development. "This is one of the high-impact achievements in gaining new knowledge from this trade mission to Iran," she said. Meanwhile, Iran-based Qazvin Detergent Export Consortium executive director Dr Navid Akhavan expressed hope that Malaysia could serve as a hub for exporting its detergent products across Southeast Asia. "From our discussions with Malaysian importers, we see great potential for Malaysia to become our regional export hub for detergent products due to its strategic location and strong demand from the local market," he said. Currently, the consortium exports its products to Afghanistan and Iraq for markets outside Iran, and there is an need for Qazvin to expand its reach into the international market. "We are also very grateful to the organisers of the Iran Expo 2025 for hosting such an event that helps exporters like us access international markets and grow our business," he said, adding that seven local detergent companies from Qazvin province are currently registered under the consortium. Iran Expo 2025, held from April 28-May 2, 2025, is the country's largest annual trade event. It offers participants exceptional opportunities to connect with global markets. The event attracted more than 2,500 traders, economic leaders, and chamber of commerce heads from more than 100 countries. It is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade and Foreign Affairs Ministry, along with the Trade Development Organisation of Iran and other governmental and private institutions. Norlaili said with the growing consumer awareness on healthy lifestyle and natural ingredients, Iranian products have their own niche in the local market. "Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia are now more open to distributing niche and premium products. High-potential categories include plant-based herbal health products, natural cosmetics, organic foods, and aromatherapy products. "In fact, Iranian products are of very high quality, but not many people know this. So, we have the advantage of being pioneers in this market. Young entrepreneurs can rebrand them and sell according to local preferences," she said. Wawasanita also sees strong export potential for Malaysian products to the Iranian market, particularly in halal food, tropical-based health products such as virgin coconut oil and traditional Malay herbs, as well as local halal cosmetics. "Iran greatly values Malaysia's high-quality halal-certified products, and this opens up significant opportunities for Malaysian entrepreneurs, especially SMEs, to expand into the West Asian market," she said.
