Iranian Twitter Users' Dissatisfaction with the Presence of Afghans in Iran; Case Study: The Hashtag "#Expel_Afghans_a_National_Demand"

Background: Afghans are the main group of migrants in Iran, and in recent years, their presence has been met with negative reactions from the Iranian public. For example, recently on Twitter, hashtags such as #Expel_Afghans_a_National_Demand (in Persian: #اخراج_افغانی_مطالبه_ملی) have been widely used by Iranian users.Aims: This study aims to examine Iranian users' perspectives on Afghans by analyzing tweets written with this hashtag about Afghans living in Iran.Methodology: Using thematic analysis, it investigates the negative views expressed by Iranian users. This analysis is based on Bennett’s six-stage model of intercultural sensitivity. The extracted themes from these tweets include five main categories: dissatisfaction with the lifestyle and behaviors of Afghans living in Iran, financial-related dissatisfaction, nationalism-related dissatisfaction, xenophobia-related dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction due to internal factors.Finding: The dissatisfaction of Iranians toward Afghans aligns with the Defense stage of Bennett’s model, as this stage is characterized by individuals distinguishing between themselves and others, perceiving their own culture as superior, and viewing other cultures as inferior.Conclusion: Based on the themes present in the tweets, it seems that some targeted actions can help reduce xenophobia and counter dominant narratives.