Iraqi refugees in Syria reluctant to return to home permanently: survey
A recent UNHCR survey of Iraqi refugees living in Syria finds that most are still reluctant to return home on a permanent basis.
GENEVA, October 8 (UNHCR) - A recent UNHCR survey of Iraqi refugees living in Syria has found that most are still reluctant to return home on a permanent basis. The survey was carried out in July and August at the Al Waleed border crossing between Syria and Iraq.
"Of 498 families, representing more than 2,000 individuals, 46 per cent cited political uncertainty, while 15 per cent blamed unstable security conditions. A further 13 per cent said they are holding back because of poor educational opportunities, and six percent cited housing shortages," Melissa Fleming, UNHCR's chief spokesperson, told journalists in Geneva.
"Most people crossing the border - 89 per cent - said it was for a short trip only. In 42 per cent of cases this was for visiting family members, 18 per cent said they were checking conditions on the ground, 15 per cent to obtain documentation and 10 per cent to check on property," she added.
A similar survey on the Iraq-Jordan border among 364 families (about 1,450 people) found that none were returning to Iraq permanently. Similar reasons were cited.
Syria hosts the largest number of Iraqi refugees in the region. Since the start of the war in Iraq, UNHCR has registered more than 290,000 Iraqis. Some have since been resettled or departed to third countries on their own; some have returned to Iraq, most of them spontaneously and a few with limited assistance from UNHCR. Most, however, remain in Syria. At the end of August, the number of Iraqi refugees registered with UNHCR stood at slightly more than 150,000.
"Demand for registration by Iraqi refugees in Syria has increased during the past five months, with an average of 1,900 people requesting registration appointments every month since the beginning of the year," Fleming said. "Since May, this figure has risen dramatically to a peak of 3,500 in August. The majority of Iraqis requesting registration came from Baghdad and Ninewa governorates, recognized as being particularly dangerous in UNHCR guidelines," she added.
Syria has been a generous host to Iraqi refugees. More than 70 percent of the Iraqi refugees currently registered in Syria have lived there for over four years. Although many Iraqi refugees left Iraq with some savings, after years of exile, these savings have run out. As a result, refugees rely on food and financial assistance from UNHCR.
Approximately 40 per cent of all registered Iraqis in Syria are considered vulnerable and in need of assistance. About 34,000 suffer serious medical conditions, while 9 per cent of the refugee population are classified as "women at risk."
"UNHCR does not consider the security situation in Iraq adequate to facilitate or promote returns. We nonetheless continue to assist refugees who voluntarily express their wish to return, in close coordination with the Iraqi authorities," Fleming noted.
The number of refugees who return permanently to Iraq has been very low, with UNHCR having supported 163 to return to Iraq from Syria since the beginning of 2010. According to Iraqi government statistics, only 18,240 Iraqi refugees returned from exile between January and August. This represents 20 per cent of the total returns of 89,700 in the same period, including internally displaced people.
Related news and stories
Earthquake survivors in Türkiye count the devastating toll
Twelve years on, Syrian refugees face deepening debt and hunger
Twelve years on, Syrian refugees face deepening debt and hunger
Visiting earthquake-ravaged areas of Türkiye and Syria, UNHCR's Grandi urges more support for survivors trying to rebuild
UNHCR, IOM welcome Spain's expedited resettlement of Syrian refugees from Türkiye in earthquake aftermath
Vital aid reaches Syrian quake survivors who – again – have lost everything
Your search for « iraqi refugees » matched 5550 results. Only the first 1,000 results are displayed. Displaying page 21 of 112 pages.
-
Iraq: UNHCR's preliminary repatriation and reintegration plan
25 Apr 2003 ... You have probably seen reports quoting Iraqi refugees in various countries who are now anxious to go home, many of them after a decade or more in exile. Obviously, return and reintegration will be ...... -
UNHCR sends aid to evicted Palestinian refugees in Baghdad
9 May 2003 ... In another development, a UNHCR team in southern Iraq has discovered dozens of Iranian refugees who have also been ejected from their homes by local communities. The three-truck convoy is transporting ...... -
Humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees and displaced persons
30 May 1991 ... -
Refugees Magazine Issue 107 (Refugee voices from exile) - Iraq to Sweden with smugglers
1 Mar 1997 ... ... Another wait of one month before their Iraqi-Danish smuggler bungled them onto an evening train and ... with 14 other people and the smugglers ordered the refugees to pay the second half of their 'fare.' ...... -
Iraq Situation Response - February 2010
Feb 2010 ... The information that it contains is derived from UNHCR’s Global Appeal, the Iraq Humanitarian Action Plan (IHAP) and the Regional Response Plan for Iraqi Refugees (RRP). The plight of displaced ...... -
Iraq hit by heatwaves, making life for refugees even tougher
31 Jul 2015 ... Originally from Qamishli, Syria, she and her family are now sheltering in Kawergosk refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This is their second summer living in Iraq as refugees. While Sozan ...... -
The State of the World's Refugees 1993: The Challenge of Protection - Chapter 5: Responding to Refugee Emergencies
1 Jan 1993 ... World's Refugees 1993 Chapter Five Responding to Refugee Emergencies In the autumn of 1990, United Nations agencies drew up contingency plans for an anticipated flow of refugees from Iraq into Turkey. ...... -
Iraq Operation 2006 Supplementary Appeal
30 Apr 2006 ... The following elements form an integral part of UNHCR’s strategy towards this end: I. Protection and assistance to refugees in Iraq; II. Protection and assistance to Iraqis in neighbouring ...... -
Refugees trickle home as UNHCR chief prepares to visit Iraq region
15 Jul 2003 ... GENEVA, July 15 (UNHCR) - Small groups of Iraqi refugees are spontaneously crossing back from Iran, as High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers leaves for Iraq to determine when the country may be ready to ......