Sufferings and dangers of Kolbari from the Kolbaran tongue/ Paradis Persa.
- The Colbert phenomenon has become in recent decades one of the most painful manifestations of the informal economy in the western and northwestern borders of Iran. Colbert is mainly popular in West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermansha and Ilam provinces. Field estimates show that only in the provinces of West Azerbaijan and Kurdistan about 70,000 people are Kolbers, and in cities such as Bein, Marivan, Sardshet, Piranshahr and Fawa, the largest number of Kolbers have been reported.
Environmental determinism and economic problems.
The anti-developmental policies of the government, especially in the Kurdish areas and among non-Persian and non-Shia communities, played a role in the expansion of this phenomenon. Years of preventing sustainable investment, historical insecurity and the dominance of security in these regions have limited the scope of the formation and expansion of sustainable economic activity. The lack of industrial infrastructure and production workshops, the weakness of the tourism industry and agricultural stagnation have also reduced formal employment opportunities. In such a situation, the lack of support policies and effective development programs pushed many border residents into the informal economy, and Colberry became one of the few ways to make a living for thousands of households, despite its life risks. "Arman", a young man living in Bena who has just finished his studies, tells the reason why he entered this job as follows: "I couldn't find another job, there was no job or profession I could do. Just as I was finishing, my father had an accident and lost his job, and we had no source of income. After all, somehow I had to manage for our family of five."
Fried, who has a bachelor's degree in literature and a teaching background, describes the situation as follows: "There are many educated people who work hard because they have nothing to do. If they don't eat they will starve to death. Now that I am unemployed, I have no choice but to work as a cobbler, but people see cobblers as uneducated and criminals.
"Mohammed", 45 years old and a resident of Orman, told the peace line: "I have been working for five years. I went to work because of unemployment.