07/18/2008

Since November 2006, Refugees International has led the call for increased assistance to Iraqis forced from their homes by the violence in their country. Download our latest report on Iraqi displacement: Uprooted and Unstable: Meeting Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Iraq.

One in five Iraqis have been displaced.
According to the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration in 2007, almost 5 million Iraqis had been displaced by violence in their country, the vast majority of which had fled since 2003. Over 2.8 million vacated their homes for safer areas within Iraq, while 2 million were living in Syria, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Gulf States. Most Iraqis are determined to be resettled to Europe or North America, and few consider return to Iraq an option. Iraqis have no legal work options in most host countries and are increasingly desperate and in need of humanitarian assistance. They face challenges in finding housing, obtaining food, and have trouble accessing host countries’ health and education systems. Their resources depleted, small numbers of Iraqis have returned to Iraq in the past few months. Most of those who returned were subsequently displaced again.

The violence in Iraq continues and is indiscriminate.
"Iraqis who are unable to flee the country are now in a queue, waiting their turn to die," is how one Iraqi journalist summarized conditions in Iraq. Refugees International has met with dozens of Iraqis who have fled the violence and sought refuge in neighboring countries. All of them, whether Sunni, Shi’a, Christian or Palestinian, had been directly victimized by armed actors. People are targeted because of religious affiliation, economic status, and profession – many, such as doctors, teachers, and even hairdressers, are viewed as being “anti-Islamic.” All of them fled Iraq because they had genuine and credible fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Neighboring countries are overwhelmed by the massive influx of Iraqi refugees.
Iraqi refugees are overwhelming the basic infrastructure of Iraq’s neighbors, in particular Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, raising concerns over further destabilization of the region. Jordan, Lebanon and Syria consider Iraqis as “guests” rather than refugees fleeing violence. In October, Syria ended its open-door policy and imposed visa restrictions on Iraqi refugees. In Jordan, where 70 percent of the population is of Palestinian origin, Iraqis have to pay for the most basic services. In Lebanon, Iraqis live as outlaws, hiding from arrest, detention and even deportation. Egypt, the most populous Arab country, hosts 130,000 Iraqis, but has closed its borders to additional Iraqi refugees.

The Government of Iraq is not providing adequate assistance to displaced Iraqis.
The Government of Iraq has finally provided $25 million to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon to help meet the needs of Iraqi refugees in these countries. Yet, despite numerous requests from neighboring countries for more involvement, the Iraqi Government has failed to deliver additional assistance. Instead, the Government has actively encouraged a policy of returns, by asking neighboring countries to close their borders, providing financial incentives to refugee families, and issuing non-exit stamps when refugees return to Iraq. Similarly, the Government of Iraq’s inability to manage the Public Distribution System of food has led millions of displaced Iraqis inside the country to lose the only assistance they were receiving. Despite billions of dollars remaining in its national budget, the Iraqi Government is spending an extremely small amount to assist its internally and externally displaced populations.

UNHCR does not have enough resources to assist Iraqi refugees in the Middle East.
Although the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees received more than $152 million for Iraqi refugees and internally displaced people in 2007, this equals only about $30 per person. The agency needs far more funding to provide adequate protection and assistance to Iraqis, and has requested $261 million for 2008, nearly half of which remains not funded. The agency lacks the resources to process refugees’ documentation adequately. Without staff to monitor borders, UNHCR depends on national governments for updated information on new arrivals. UNHCR is also unable to provide significant assistance to Iraqis, and other UN agencies have been slow to acknowledge the extent of the crisis. The fact that Lebanon, Syria and Jordan are not state parties to the 1951 Refugees Convention further reduces UNHCR’s ability to protect refugees.

The U.S. Continues to Delay Resettlement of Iraqi Refugees
The U.S. fell far short of its promise to permanently resettle 7,000 vulnerable Iraqis in the 2007 fiscal year.