After the military intervention of March 2003 there were hopes that large numbers of Iraqi expatriates and refugees would return and contribute to Iraq’s reconstruction and development. Between 2003 and 2005, some 325,000 Iraqi refugees did indeed return. Since 2005,…
Iraqis are leaving their homes because of violence. According to interviews carried out by the International Organization for Migration, most IDPs said they fled their homes because of sectarian violence, generalised violence and military operations. Minority communities have been particularly…
Displacement and forced migration in Iraq have a long history, particularly under the former regime. Displacement increased after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in April 2003 as a result of the breakdown in security and disappearance of the state’s institutions.…
Jordan is connected to the Iraqi people by ties of historic neighbourly relations and continuous interaction between the two peoples that we are committed to maintain. We stand by our neighbouring country, hoping that it will overcome its difficulties, maintain…
Syria has offered Iraqi refugees care and assistance, and continues to do so, in spite of the limited nature of its material resources. At the start of 2007 UNHCR estimated that the number of Iraqi refugees in Syria exceeds 1.2…
In December 2006, UNHCR’s revised Return Advisory and Position on International Protection Needs of Iraqis outside Iraq[1] cited extreme tension in central and southern Iraq with a high probability of continued hostilities and increased insecurity. It advised that “no Iraqi…
Despite political progress in Iraq, sectarian violence continues to claim new victims. While the eyes of the world have been on the conflict, its humanitarian consequences have largely been ignored. For quite some time now, we have witnessed an exodus…
Iraq’s neighbours are refusing entry and imposing onerous new passport and visa requirements for Iraqi nationals. Saudi Arabia is building a $7bn high-tech barrier on its border to keep Iraqis out. Kuwait is equally categorical in its rejection of Iraqis.…
Evidence gathered by the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq[1]– a network of about 80 international and 200 Iraqi NGOs – shows that Iraq – once the Middle East’s most developed country – today has benchmarks and indicators normally associated with…
Alarmed about the worsening humanitarian situation resulting from the continued conflict and sectarian violence inside Iraq, in early 2007 UNHCR undertook a series of consultations with the United Nations Secretary-General, the Iraqi authorities and a number of interested States, to…