International Community Must Act to Help Iraqi Refugees
The international community must increase its response to the growing Iraqi refugee crisis, says a new report published by Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM) and Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS). More than two million Iraqis are living as refugees primarily in Syria and Jordan as a result of the war, and project researchers say their unresolved needs now constitute a humanitarian crisis in the region.
“With deteriorating conditions for the Iraqis already resident, pressures on host country institutions that are barely able to provide for citizens, and the prospect of closed borders, international assistance is urgently needed,” says Patricia Weiss Fagen, senior associate at ISIM and author of the report. “Recognizing there is indeed a refugee crisis is the first step towards finding solutions for the Iraqis and their hosts.”
The study notes that the current Iraqi displacement is the largest in the Middle East region since the flight of Palestinians in 1948 and far surpasses it in terms of numbers of people leaving and seeking to leave. While Jordan and Syria have welcomed many of these Iraqis into their communities, their status, or absence thereof, leaves the refugees in legal limbo. Neither host government is prepared to accommodate a long-term presence of Iraqis in their countries.
The report analyzes the Iraqi refugee situation in both Jordan and Syria respectively. In Jordan, which closed its border to Iraqi refugees in earlier this year, project researchers found that the government does not have accurate or current information about its Iraqi refugee population, which has implications for international assistance efforts. They also argue that Jordan needs to establish clearer guidelines for the legal status and economic rights of the Iraqis. The study notes that in Amman, the city most affected by the refugee population, Jordanian residents blame Iraqis for a deteriorating quality of life due to higher gas prices, increasingly unavailable and expensive housing, inflation, crime and traffic. On the other hand, project researchers note that Iraqis contribute to economic health in Jordan by purchasing goods and services and adding to the job market.
Syria recently announced changes to a traditionally open border policy in which they are now requiring Iraqis to obtain visas, and those visas will be limited to people with businesses and academics. As in Jordan, project researchers note that the quality and quantity of information about the Iraqi refugee population in Syria is lacking, and impedes international assistance. There is also no long-term plan to integrate Iraqis into the population, and many public services are deteriorating as a result of strains from the refugee influx. The study notes that while there are both economic benefits and difficulties in Syria, the benefits go to a relatively small portion of the population and overall more Syrians are experiencing poverty, more are involved in crime, and the gap between rich and poor is increasing although not solely due to the refugee issue.
The report also analyzes international assistance efforts to date and prospects for future refugee resettlement. The study finds widespread reluctance throughout the Middle East region and in the international community to assist in resettling Iraqi refugees. In order to avoid bureaucratic challenges of working directly with host country governments, some donor governments have instead channeled funding through international organizations which may or may not work with Jordanian and Syrian governments.
The study recommends that the governments of Jordan and Syria develop a long-term national strategy for the Iraqi population that includes better methods of gathering accurate statistics about the refugee population and addresses the legal status of refugees. In addition, the report calls on other countries in the region to step forward and help address the refugee issue. With the borders of Syria and Jordan now restricted, it is crucial that the international community, neighboring countries and Iraq itself take a stand to assist a critical population of refugees.
Researchers Fagen and Sameer Jarrah, director of the Arab World Center for Democratic Development in Amman, Jordan, spent approximately one week each in Jordan and Syria interviewing government officials, UN officials, donors, independent experts and analysts and Iraqis. Their analysis also relied primarily on the extensive and growing documentation about Iraqis’ legal status, their basic needs and opportunities.