Mixed Migration JANUARY Monthly Summary DECEMBER 2018 Middle East This summary is produced by the Mixed Migration Platform (MMP) and covers inter- and intra-regional displacement and displacement-induced mobility, drawing widely from available sources. Given the complexity of current migration trends in the Middle East, this summary gives a consolidated snapshot of mixed migration in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. Current mixed migration issues in Israel/oPt fall within the remit of the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat (RMMS). A note on terminology: Throughout the report the term ‘refugees and other migrants’ is used to include all persons in mixed migration flows (this may include asylum seekers, trafficked persons, refugees, migrants, and other people on the move). Any reference to specific groups is consistent with the original source. Cover photo: Eduardo Soteras Jalil/DRC To be added to MMP’s monthly migration summary mailing list, please contact [email protected] Visit our website at: http://www.mixedmigrationplatform.org/ JANUARY 2018 OVERVIEW While overall figures of apprehensions at Turkey’s returned from Syria in a convoy this month, however land borders was at its lowest since July 2017 this nine were killed and 24 more injured when one of the month (30,666), the number of recorded entry buses crashed. Overall Iraqi returns saw an increase attempts to Greece via Turkey remained constant of 3.9% (126,442) in January, yet the number of Iraqis at 772. Nearly 30,000 attempted to enter Turkey via hosted in neighbouring countries also rose by 6.4% the Syrian border. 57 people were returned from to nearly 280,000. The Iraqi government plans to see Greece to Turkey under the EU-Turkey Agreement, all displaced people returned to their areas of origin bringing the total to 1,531 since April 2016, the majority by May, prior to parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, of whom have been from Pakistan (42%) and Syria reports of forced returns remain ongoing, with at (16%). In Syria, IDP returns to Raqqa city and the least 155 families sent from Ameriyat al Fallujah camp surrounding neighbourhood continued in January, back to Al-Qaim district this month. In Jordan, the first with an estimated 25,000 households now residing humanitarian aid was delivered to the at least 50,000 in the urban centre. This is despite the 534 people residents of the berm’s informal Rukban settlement (112 of whom died as a result) maimed by unexploded following a six-month hiatus, due to security-related ordnance left by the so-called Islamic State since border closures. Aid groups have been advocating the area was cleared in October 2017. Internal for the expedited processing of 8,500 Syrians held displacement within Syria continues at a rate of in “Village 5”, a high security area of Jordan’s Azraq almost a quarter of a million on average each month camp, isolated from the general camp population. since the beginning of 2017. Syrians residing in the neighbouring region increased by 1.5% this month, as did the number of Syrians arriving to Europe by The following sections of this report describe sea, which rose by 7.2% to 18,669. Smuggling routes monthly developments related to mixed migration from Syria into Lebanon remain active, with 15 Syrians by country, including reported arrivals, departures, freezing to death attempting to enter the country internal displacement relevant to cross-border through the mountains in January. 690 Iraqi families movement, and discussion of relevant policy changes. SERBIA Russia !Dimitrovgrad Sofia ! BULGARIA !Presevo Skopje GEORGIA ! T'Bilisi !Edirne ! FYRoM ! Gevgelija Istanbul ! ! !Thessaloniki Turkey ARMENIA 772 people apprehended attempting to enter Bursa !Canakkale ! ! Yerevan Greece via Turkey’s!Anka landra border. GREECE Iraq 690 Iraqi families returned in a convoy TURKEY from Syria, nine killed and 24 injured when one of the buses crashed. !Izmir ! !Cesme !Athens Kahramanmaras ! !Hakkari CIzre! ! Seyhan Gaziantep Nusabin Silopi ! ! ! Ceylanpinar ! IRAN ! ! !Dohuk !Mersin !Kilis Kobani ! !Al-Hasakeh Antakya !Mosul Lebanon-Syria ! !Aleppo !Erbil Raqqa 15 Syrians froze to death attempting to !Idlib ! reach Lebanon through mountain pass Kirkuk !Sulaymaniyah Deir ez Zor ! smuggling route. Hama ! ! ! SYRIA T!artus !Homs !Beirut LEBANON Damascus ! Syria ! Baghdad IRAQ ! Almost 250,000 newly displaced in As Sweida Jordan Dar'a! ! northwest Syria from mid-December to 22 First humanitarian aid delivered in at January. Amman least six months to at least 50,000 Jerusalem ! residing in informal Rukban camp at the ! berm. JORDAN !Cairo OverviewLib ofya key developments across the Middle East (January 2018) EGYPT SAUDI ARABIA !Kuwait 3 MIXED MIGRATION MONTHLY SUMMARY | MIDDLE EAST JANUARY 2018 IRAQ Arrivals: 690 Iraqi families were brought in convoy December figures. The number of Iraqis registered in from Syria, via Turkey this month, to return to Jordan rose from 65,922 to 66,262 (0.5%) this month. Iraq. However, a crash involving one of the buses The number of Iraqis in Turkey was reported to be at transporting families resulted in nine fatalities and 157,011 in January, where they represent 44% of the an additional 24 people injured. Families returning population under ‘temporary protection’ other than from Syria report that many others in Azaz would also Syrians. This marks an increase of 5,357 (3.5%) from like to return to Iraq but either lack the necessary figures reported in December. Other data indicates identification documents, or are awaiting clearance the presence of 24,000 other Iraqi refugees and from the Iraqi embassy in Ankara in order to join asylum seekers, mostly in the Greater Damascus area. an organised movement. Many of these families reportedly come from Tel Afar but less than 76 people were apprehended attempting to enter half expect to return to their homes due to the Turkey from Iraq in January, an increase of 30 (65.2%) living conditions in the district. Four people were from the previous month. apprehended by Turkish land forces attempting to As of 31 January 2018, Iraqis are the 10th most enter Iraq irregularly via Turkey’s border this month, in common nationality to have arrived in Europe via comparison to no reported cases in December. sea since January 2017. They are the second most common nationality to arrive by sea to Greece in the Departures: As of 26 January 12,531 Iraqis, who fled same time period (accounting for 20.1% of arrivals). Iraq since 17 October 2016, are residing in camps in Al-Hasakeh, Syria. Last month’s reported surge in Iraqi arrivals into these camps was due to an error Refugees and Other Migrants in Iraq: The number in the secondary reported data, meaning that this of Syrians in Iraq rose marginally from 247,057 in figure is only a slight increase from the population at December to 247,379 (0.1%) in January, following the the end of December. The graph has been amended recent pattern of small increases. The numbers of accordingly to omit this figure. non-Syrian and stateless persons in Iraq are reported at 43,672 and 48,500 respectively as of January. The As of 26 January, almost 280,000 Iraqis were hosted number of non-Syrians has declined marginally (816 in countries in the region, an increase of 6.4% from people or 0.018%) since November, but the number of stateless persons remains the same. Iraqis received in Al-Hasakeh, Syria 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 31-Aug 7-Sep 13-Sep 25-Sep 29-Sep 7-Oct 13-Oct 18-Oct 20-Nov 28-Nov 14-Dec 26-Jan 4 MIXED MIGRATION MONTHLY SUMMARY | MIDDLE EAST JANUARY 2018 Total Registered Syrians in Iraq (2017) 250,000 245,000 240,000 246,434 246,592 246,974 247,057 247,379 235,000 244,605 244,235 242,558 241,406 239,639 236,772 230,000 235,526 233,224 225,000 Jan-17 Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17 Jun-17 Jul-17 Aug-17 Sep-17 Oct-17 Nov-17 Dec-17 Jan-18 Internal Displacement: The total number of IDPs those who are unwilling to return are reportedly in Iraq was measured at 2,470,974 by 31 January, facing restrictions on their movement. down by 145,014 (5.5%) from the previous month. Almost 800,000 (30%) of these have been displaced Other factors with a bearing on forced/coerced within Ninewa governorate itself. The number of return include reports that civil servants in Anbar returnees, as defined by the IOM Displacement Matrix are expected to return to their posts in their areas Methodology, conversely increased to 3,346,704 by of origin soon or risk being laid off. Additionally, the end of January; up by 126,442 (3.9%) from December. Federal Government’s Ministry of Education has announced that all Arabic language schools for On 11 January, the General Secretariat for the Council displaced children in the K-RI have been instructed of Ministers announced that 50% of those displaced to permanently close at the end of the school year, have returned to their area of origin for the first potentially affecting 160,000 students and pushing time since 2013. The government intends to see all families to leave. displaced people returned to their areas of origin by May, in advance of planned parliamentary elections. Vulnerability and Protection: Documentation issues, including procedures on how documents are returned On 14 January, Internal Security Forces (ISF) to IDPs, continue to arise. For instance IDPs who had announced the end of a military operation in Hawiga fled to Hassansham and Khazer camps are reportedly against ‘extremist sleeper cells’, which had displaced struggling to regain identification documents that 1,000 people since 4 January.