Government-led registration enhances protection for refugees and asylum seekers in Iraq’s centre and south, Kirkuk and Ninewa
Government-led registration enhances protection for refugees and asylum seekers in Iraq’s centre and south, Kirkuk and Ninewa
Issuance of a PC-MOI card to a refugee at the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs office in Baghdad.
At the office of the Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs of the Ministry of Interior (PC-MOI) in Baghdad, refugee families sit side by side, plastic folders in hand, filled with the documents that help define who they are and where they belong. For many, these registration appointments are more than an administrative step, they are a pathway to greater security, freedom of movement and access to rights and services.
The goal is straightforward: to lodge an application for international protection with the Iraqi government and to receive a PC-MOI card, the primary identity document for refugees and asylum seekers registered with the government in federal Iraq that lets them prove who they are and access services.
Refugees and asylum seekers wait for their turn at the PC-MOI office in Baghdad as part of the government registration and documentation process.
A PC-MOI staff member verifies a refugee’s biometric data as part of the registration and documentation process in Baghdad.
Getting there involves a few steps. Families first book an appointment through UNHCR’s online MyService portal. At that appointment, UNHCR registers them as asylum seekers and gives them a referral letter - their green light to proceed to PC-MOI where the government registers them as asylum-seekers in Iraq and issues their documentation.
At the PC-MOI reception desk, staff review the referral letter and support families to ensure their records are accurate and complete. They are then guided to a short interview where officials review their asylum application and issue a government card.
For Abdallah, a Palestinian refugee student living in Baghdad, the process was reassuring. “The whole process is very easy and rapid,” he says while Hanan, the data entry staff, takes his biometrics and verifies his information.
Abdallah, a Palestinian refugee student living in Baghdad, completes biometric registration and a review of his personal information with PC-MOI staff member Hanan as part of the process to obtain government-issued documentation.
Launched in April 2026, the joint registration process between UNHCR and the Government of Iraq marks an important step in strengthening the country’s asylum system. Its aim is to ensure that refugees and asylum-seekers can access fair and non-discriminatory asylum procedures, including quality registration and government-issued documentation. As national systems continue to strengthen, the Government is expected to gradually assume primary responsibility for refugee and asylum-seeker registration. During this transition, UNHCR continues to register asylum-seekers, refer to PC-MOI and provide technical support to help ensure that procedures remain accessible, protection-sensitive and aligned with international standards.
“UNHCR has provided us with the tools, including a database system where we register refugees’ and asylum-seekers’ data,” Brigadier General Nadhim Abdullah Ahmed, Secretary of PC-MoI says, “The process takes around 15 minutes.”
Registration as an asylum-seeker with the Government opens doors. By regularizing legal stay in Iraq and providing government-issued documentation, it gives refugees and asylum-seekers a recognized identity before the authorities and a stronger basis to access protection and essential services, including health care, education and other forms of support. For those who have lived without documentation, this can be life-changing: it reduces exposure to arrest, detention or potential refoulement, supports safer movement and helps families approach public institutions with greater confidence. In practical terms, registration is not only an administrative step, but a critical protection tool that helps refugees and asylum-seekers live more safely and rebuild their lives with greater dignity.
While the system is structured, it also seeks to respond to the realities refugees and asylum seekers face. When appointments are missed, PC-MOI works to reschedule them, while UNHCR follows up to better understand any challenges encountered, including distance, transportation costs, or difficulties faced by refugees and asylum seekers in obtaining proof of residence from Mukhtars (community leaders) which is required for the PC-MoI registration process.
For asylum-seekers living outside Baghdad, PC-MOI also conducts mobile registration missions to governorates, in coordination with UNHCR and local authorities. Asylum-seekers who are already registered with UNHCR are contacted and provided with appointments during these missions, enabling them to complete the government registration process closer to where they live and reducing the time and cost associated with travelling to Baghdad, as well as the risk of arrest or detention during the journey due to the absence of government-issued documentation.
As part of the joint procedure, UNHCR staff is present at the PC-MOI office to support.
For refugees who are unable to reach the centre, additional measures are in place. “We also conduct home visits to register people who cannot come to our office, such as older persons or people with limited mobility,” Brigadier General Nadhim adds. “And when individuals arrive without an appointment, we make efforts to accommodate them whenever possible, recognizing the difficulties many face in reaching the centre.”
The transition of registration functions to the Iraqi authorities reflects years of investment and partnership between UNHCR and the Government of Iraq to strengthen national asylum systems and reduce reliance on humanitarian mechanisms. This has been enabled by key donors such as EU Humanitarian Aid and countries that provide flexible funding to UNHCR, such as Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Norway. Behind the transition is a shared commitment to building government structures that can identify, protect and document refugees and asylum-seekers. What emerges is an asylum system built to last. One that no longer depends on humanitarian mechanisms to function, and that can serve people seeking international protection reliably, year after year.
As Iraq continues to strengthen its asylum procedures, the PC-MOI card represents more than a document. It is a foundation; the legal identity refugees and asylum seekers need to rebuild their lives with dignity.