Border porters, called kolbars, face difficult conditions while transporting goods along the Kurdistan Region’s border with Iran. These border porters mostly come from Iran’s Kurdish areas and take the work to support their families amid rising living costs.
Previously, kolbari work remained illegal, and Iranian border guards often shot those who were caught. After a law passed last year, kolbars now work legally. Each worker carries 10 to 30 kilograms of goods and operates three days per week.
Halaw Ahmed, a Kurdish woman, described her hardships as a border porter. She explained that limited workdays make earning enough income challenging. “One of my sons is a soldier and another is unemployed. I live in a rental house. Therefore, I have to do this work,” she said while carrying goods from Erbil province’s Haji Omaran to sell at higher prices in Iran.
Many kolbars accept this work because they lack other options. Elderly porter Bayiz Pir Niya emphasized that rising prices force families to rely on multiple workers. “We have no other work and prices have gone up so much that only with ten people working can we cover household expenses,” he said.
The Iranian government issues work cards to residents in border areas. Over 5,000 people hold these permits. Authorities monitor their movement through the Haji Omaran residence and passport department. Each day, 1,000 to 1,500 kolbars transport around 60 tons of goods.
The most common goods include fabric, tea, coffee, and auto parts. Poor residents on the Iranian side benefit from this trade because it gives them access to essential goods at affordable prices.
Despite legal recognition, border porters still face physically demanding work and financial instability. Each day, they carry heavy loads over rugged terrain to support families struggling under economic pressure.
Border porters play a vital role in local economies. Their work highlights the resilience of the Kurdish population and the ongoing challenges of cross-border trade.