UNHCR Second Rapid Assessment of Return of Iraqis from Displacement Locations in Iraq and from Neighbouring Countries Conducted through Protection and Assistance Centres and Implementing Partners UNHCR Iraq Operation: February 2008 UNHCR has clear criteria for promotion of returns and those criteria are not met by the current situation in Iraq. Therefore, UNHCR is not promoting returns to Iraq in the present circumstances because UNHCR does not believe the conditions are there to enable return in full safety and dignity on a meaningful scale. António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Damascus/Syria, 14 February 2008 UNHCR is fully supportive of Iraqi citizens who have already returned to their home country and is already providing assistance to them. UNHCR is also prepared to fully engage with the Government of Iraq and other international actors to facilitate the creation of conditions for the safe and dignified return of Iraqis to their homes. 2 Executive Summary • As of 31 December 2007, 1,268,873 persons have been recorded as being internally displaced after the escalation of violence in the aftermath of the February 2006 Samarra bombing. In addition, 190,146 persons have become internally displaced between 2003 and 2005.1 The total estimated number of IDPs since March 2003 is therefore 1,459,019 individuals. As of September 2007, UNHCR’s partners have reported that fewer Iraqis are being internally displaced each month compared with preceding months, mostly due to sectarian homogenization at the governorate, district and neighbourhood level, as well as the improved security situation in parts of Baghdad and Anbar. • From October to December 2007, an increase of 69,382 persons was recorded. This is due to fresh displacement, time delays between displacement and registration of IDPs, improved Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM) registration procedures and increased IDP access to these procedures.2 • UNHCR estimates that there are two million Iraqis displaced to other countries in the region including 1,400,000 in Syria and 450,000-500,000 in Jordan. 3 • Actual numbers of IDP and refugee returnees are currently uncertain. According to the latest figures released by MoDM, nearly 6,000 IDP families returned to Baghdad between February 2007 and December 2007. MoDM estimated on 26 November 2007 that approximately 30,000 families had returned from abroad in 2007. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) estimated that around 46,000 individuals returned to Baghdad between 15 September and 27 December 2007.4 • Data analyzed in this report include the movement of 3,241 IDP and 1,894 refugee families recorded in November 2007 as well as the movement of 346 IDP and 313 refugee families recorded in December 2007 in various locations in Iraq.5 • Iraqi and Syrian authorities report that more individuals crossed into Syria coming from Iraq than vice versa at the Al-Waleed/ Al-Tanf border crossing during the last week of January and first week of February 2008. Looking, however, at the period of 1 August 2007 to 6 February 2008, the number of individuals crossing into Iraq coming from Syria has been higher than the number of persons crossing in the opposite direction.6 • Return movements are mostly happening to areas which have become ethnically/religiously homogeneous. Returnees mostly return to those neighbourhoods/districts/governorates under control of members of their sect. To date, only a few families returned to areas under control of another sect.7 • No members of minority groups (e.g., Christians, Sabaean-Mandaeans and Yazidis) have been reported to be among the returnees.8 • What is reported as return includes secondary displacement. Difficulties in the place of displacement and impossibility of returning to their homes are often the cause for repeated 9 movements of displaced persons. 1 See Section 2. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 See Section 1. 6 See Section 10. 7 See Sections 3 and 8. 8 See Section 8. 9 See Section 6. 3 • The main impediments to return in safety and dignity are ongoing sectarianism by groups in control of a governorate, district or neighbourhood as well as destroyed or occupied properties.10 Many houses left behind by internally displaced persons (IDPs) were occupied by other IDPs.11 • Limited access to basic services does not as such impede returns. However, returnees are in need of basic services in addition to non-food items, food, shelter and employment.12 • UNHCR is fully supportive of returnees and is already providing assistance to them.13 • UNHCR remains concerned about the prevailing level of violence and sectarianism, the sustainability of the current partial security improvements, the limited absorption capacity (availability of basic services) in potential return areas and the lack of a cohesive mechanism to recover property lost after April 2003. Therefore, UNHCR is neither encouraging nor promoting returns to or within Iraq nor is it organizing any mass returns. 10 See Section 6. 11 See Section 7. 12 See Section 9. 13 See Section 11. 4 Table of Contents Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................3 1. Methodology....................................................................................................................6 2. Background......................................................................................................................7 3. Governorates and Districts Hosting Returnees................................................................8 4. Governorates and Countries Families Are Returning From ............................................9 5. Reasons for Returning or Not Returning .......................................................................10 6. Return to Place of Origin versus Return into Displacement..........................................10 7. Occupied and Destroyed Housing .................................................................................11 8. Ethnicity and Sect of Returnees.....................................................................................13 9. Needs of Returnees ........................................................................................................14 10. Movement across the Iraqi Borders with Syria and Iran ...............................................15 11. Assistance Delivered to Families Returning From Internal and External Displacement..................................................................................................................16 5 1. Methodology A first rapid assessment was carried out by UNHCR’s Protection and Assistance Centres in all of Iraq’s 18 Governorates in November 2007. A month later, a second assessment was carried out in all Governorates in order to assess return trends from both outside and within the country. This report provides an analysis of the results obtained through both assessments. While the first Rapid Assessment recorded the movement of 3,241 IDP families and 1,894 refugee families, the second Rapid Assessment accounted for the movement of 346 IDP and 313 refugee families in various locations of the country. The objective of this report is to provide an analysis of IDP/refugee movements that took place in areas from which most returns were reported in each Governorate. In those areas, local authorities and community representatives (governorate and municipal councils and local mayors [mukhtars]) were interviewed, resulting in 175 local situation reports. The two rapid assessments are the source of information and data analyzed in this report, unless otherwise indicated. Additional information from primary sources was used in compiling this report. Due reference is made in these cases. UNHCR has identified the following concerns which cumulatively and significantly impact trends observed in the course of monitoring: 1. UNHCR’s PACs obtained information on IDP and refugee population movements based on reports by local officials and leaders, not household surveys. The rapid assessment reports are therefore limited to information obtained from these stakeholders in their geographical areas. 2. UNHCR’s partners conducted this assessment in selected areas only. Districts reported to be hosting the highest number of returnees in each governorate were identified on the basis of informal reports received by partners. 3. Given its methodology, this assessment captures primarily those families, who were able to return to their neighbourhoods and houses. Families, who were not able to successfully return but either ended up in secondary displacement or were forced to return to their place of displacement, were not easily accessible to the local authorities. This includes families who faced security incidents or whose property has been occupied or destroyed. Therefore, the high percentage of returnees able to access their homes should not be interpreted as indicative of a general trend in the country.14 4. Returning IDPs are eligible for financial assistance upon return to the Governorate of Baghdad only, not to other Iraqi Governorates. 5. Returnees from abroad are not eligible for incentive payments upon return. Therefore, they are not necessarily registering with the authorities upon return and more comprehensive information regarding their movements is not available. Those Iraqis that returned from Syria on a convoy organized by the Iraqi Government in November 2007 were officially received and financially assisted; however, no information is