Two million Iraqi refugees are increasingly desperate and few of them are willing to return home. Although the United Nations and donor governments have dramatically increased their response to Iraqi refugees' needs, these efforts must be expanded as refugees are increasingly vulnerable due to depleting assets and rising costs.  

Helping host countries is also essential and donor governments must fund appeals for the drought response in Syria and for resettlement of Palestinians from Iraq.  To enhance regional stability and to give Iraqis the support they need to consider returning home, the international community must develop medium- and long-term assistance plans for refugees and host countries.

 

Support the Host Countries on Multiple Fronts

Iraq's neighbors must be recognized and supported for continuing to provide refuge to hundreds of thousands of people seeking safety. High unemployment and the global food crisis, in addition to the presence of large numbers of Iraqis and Palestinians, place severe stress on the infrastructure in the region. As a result of the economic conditions, Iraqi refugees in Syria and Lebanon have depleted their savings while facing increasing prices and exploitative, unstable work.  Fuel is more expensive, rent has skyrocketed, and the cost of food is higher, especially in Syria due to a severe drought. Country-specific concerns such as the drought in Syria and the political talks in Lebanon add additional pressures on the host communities.  For the stability of the region and to maintain asylum space, the international community must support the host countries as they continue to provide refuge to Iraqis.

Due to the worst drought in 40 years, Syria lost more than half of its food production. The content of the food basket subsidized by the Syrian Government at an annual cost of 8 billion dollars has been cut. In addition, herders have been forced to sell their animals at a fraction of the value and people are paying increased prices for their daily food needs.  The World Food Program issued a $20 million emergency appeal to respond to the drought in Syria, yet funding commitments from donor governments have not materialized.  The paltry response from donors thus far is a strategic mistake, as the impoverishment of Syrians could contribute to instability and trigger frustration with Iraqis, for whom UN appeals are well-funded.  The fact that Jordan has received generous bilateral assistance from the U.S. and other donors, whereas Syria is the country dealing with the largest number of Iraqis, is also a source of frustration for the Syrians.

The U.S. and other western governments must help share the burden by increasing resettlement of Iraqis to relieve pressure on Syrian and Lebanese infrastructure. A small number of Palestinians from Iraq who live in horrific conditions along the Iraqi-Syrian border should be immediately resettled and provided with a path to citizenship.  Donors should commit immediately to funding the Resettlement Service Flash Appeal for Palestinians so as to relieve the suffering of the people along the border, as well as send a positive message of solidarity to the region. 

While providing financial assistance and resettlement are critical actions by donor governments, political engagement in the region is equally important.  The recent U.S. military raid on the Iraqi-Syrian border underscores the necessity to engage Syria on Iraq-related issues. The U.S. should have an ambassador in Syria, as well as a full-time representative of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.  In addition, the U.S. and other governments must raise concerns about Iraqi refugees during bilateral talks with the Government of Lebanon and ensure that the issue is a priority for Lebanon and the diplomatic community. 

 

Plan for All Scenarios

Since the beginning of the displacement crisis, the Government of Iraq has refused to acknowledge the impact refugees have had on their host countries, as well as the scope of their needs. It was at Iraq's request that Syria imposed a visa regime on Iraqis in October 2007. Only after heavy international pressure did the Government of Iraq finally agree to provide financial assistance to its neighbors to help them deal with the situation. The assistance was meager --- $25 million in all --- and it took over a year for the payments to be made.

In the past year, the Government of Iraq has started providing incentives for Iraqis to return. The best solution for most refugees would indeed be to return home when the conditions to ensure their safety and dignity are met. According to the UN Refugee Agency, this is not yet the case, as many parts of Iraq are still too insecure to allow for safe returns and essential services are not widely accessible to the civilian population. According to a UNHCR survey, 70% of those who returned to Iraq became internally displaced.

The priority for the Government of Iraq should not be organizing transportation back to Iraq or offering financial assistance when returns are not sustainable. Rather, the Government should provide assistance to the displaced in the region, while working to establish the right conditions for returning Iraqi refugees, including security, essential services and effective means to resolve property disputes.

Planning for returns also means providing support for Iraqi refugees to continue their education and maintain their skills while in exile. At the moment, refugees focus on resettlement as the answer to their future prospects. Every refugee interviewed by Refugees International in Syria and in Lebanon was hoping to be resettled and convinced that she or he had a particularly strong case. While many of the cases are compelling, resettlement countries will not be increasing their available slots for 2009, and the numbers of refugees far exceed the opportunities even in a best case scenario. Iraqis need to be better informed that resettlement is highly unlikely. They need to be given other hopes for the future through scholarships for higher education and vocational training programs.

Refugees International is very concerned for refugees who will not be resettled and will never be able to return. Such groups include members of religious minorities who believe they will never be safe in Iraq, and who might not be resettled because of the large size of their communities. Former members of the Baath party and those who fought in Saddam Hussein's army are also unlikely to be selected for resettlement. For these people, return would be tantamount to a death sentence.

Humanitarian organizations and the host governments must plan to deal with these groups, especially at a time when their situation in host countries is deteriorating, as well as devise ad hoc solutions for particularly vulnerable people who might return one day but are in need of increased assistance for the foreseeable future. These solutions could include enhanced residency rights such as a work permit. In Lebanon, where Iraqis can work if sponsored by a Lebanese employer, donors could increase employment of Iraqi refugees by covering the costs employers must bear to hire Iraqis. UNHCR and donor governments must continue discussions with Syria and Lebanon to ensure that flexible approaches are maintained and Iraqis are allowed to stay until they can safely return.

 

Protect Refugees from Exploitation and Detention

Being unable to work legally leaves Iraqis with few options to provide for their families. The majority must find work in the black market where they may be underpaid, overworked and vulnerable to abuse, especially women and girls working in the sex industry. Cases of families forcing their children into prostitution are increasing.  If these girls are caught in Syria, they are detained until the authorities return them to their families, where they are at risk of further exploitation.  

UN agencies and non-governmental organizations have increased efforts to identify and support vulnerable Iraqis. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, gives cash grants to survivors of gender-based violence, older people without support, families with children with disabilities, female-headed households and others.  Nonetheless, increased outreach to vulnerable refugees is needed in an environment where many people are afraid to register with the UN. Others who have a UNHCR registration certificate may receive, at best, only a modicum of protection from law enforcement.  In Syria, the authorities should allow greater outreach by the humanitarian agencies so that the maximum number of extremely vulnerable people has the opportunity to access services before falling into poverty or dangerous work conditions. 

In addition, there is a pressing need for assistance to youth, persons with disabilities, and Iraqis living outside of Damascus and Beirut.  Until more agencies are operating outside of the capitals, mobile protection or outreach units should visit homes and communities across the host countries.  In some cases, a quick intervention by the UN may rectify situations of exploitation or discrimination.  For example, although Iraqi children in Lebanon are allowed to enroll in school, one school in Nabatiyé (southern Lebanon) reportedly asks children for residency papers.  Problems such as this one that contradict government policy could be addressed by mobile teams. 

The Government of Lebanon made a laudable decision in February 2008 to give amnesty to Iraqis who were illegally in the country.  Iraqis who had been detained for overstaying their visa or entering the country illegally were released on the condition that they find a work sponsor. But given the high costs to employers to sponsor migrants, as well as the fact that some employers prefer to hire people illegally and therefore pay lower rates, only about 10% of the Iraqis released from detention received the year-long sponsorship.  The Government of Lebanon, with continued support from the UN and donors, should ease the costs to employers of sponsoring migrants, or develop other measures to ease labor restrictions, including recognizing the particular needs of refugees. 

As the amnesty is no longer valid, Iraqis are again being detained.  Several Iraqis detained in Beirut for illegal entry or overstaying their visas explained that they had served their sentence, but were choosing to stay in prison in Lebanon rather than be forced to return to Iraq. Rather than detaining Iraqis who are no threat to national security but who are too fearful of persecution to return to Iraq, Lebanon should maintain a flexible approach and instruct all authorities not to arrest Iraqis who are seeking refuge. 

One Iraqi man explained that there is "no way" he will return to Iraq because "it does not matter which party you belong to or whether you're rich or poor: you get killed."  Yet, it is extremely challenging living illegally in Lebanon.  Although he is married to a Lebanese woman, he can neither get residency nor work legally, and he has been arrested twice. With two young children and a wife to support, and several other relatives from Iraq coming to live with him, he must find work. People in this man's situation should be able to live and work legally in Lebanon without fear of being arrested. 

 

Maintain Attention and Increase Assistance

The United Nations presence and overall response to the Iraqi refugee crisis have increased dramatically over the past two years. Where once UNHCR was virtually alone, struggling to raise sufficient resources, UN activities are now much more comprehensive.

In Syria, while UNHCR remains the lead agency in addressing the crisis, UNICEF is helping over 50,000 children go to school and hopes to start reaching out to teenagers. WFP is providing food rations to almost all Iraqis registered with UNHCR, and the UN Fund for Population Activities is working on addressing reproductive health and gender-based violence. The Government of Syria has given initial approval for 14 international NGOs to start operating in the country, and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society has signed memorandums of understanding allowing seven of them, including a U.S.-based NGO, to operate. In Lebanon, UNHCR is currently the sole UN agency responding to Iraqi refugees' needs, but a large network of civil society organizations is there to assist with healthcare and education and meet the needs of vulnerable groups.

UNHCR has substantially improved its ability to identify vulnerable Iraqis through a network of outreach workers and has expanded its programs accordingly. It assists refugees with medical care, legal and psycho-social support, and emergency financial support. In Lebanon, UNHCR was able to negotiate a flexible government approach to the illegal status of Iraqis in the country, and in Syria, the agency has developed a relationship with the Government that has allowed for greater civil society presence and public information campaigns for Iraqi refugees.

The next president of the U.S. will need to establish a strategy that sets an example for other donor governments by leading funding for these efforts, especially as a global recession looms. Large-scale voluntary returns will not take place anytime soon, and many refugees will remain displaced for years. Therefore, relief activities will continue to be essential through 2010. While the political future of Iraq is uncertain, as is the impact of any decision related to the presence of the U.S. military in the country, U.S. engagement on humanitarian matters will be essential to prevent the establishment of another permanent refugee underclass in this volatile region. U.S. pressure on the Government of Iraq will also be critical to assure an appropriate long-term resolution of the displacement crisis.

The UN is finally approaching the Iraqi displacement crisis holistically by engaging in a regional Comprehensive Appeal Process (CAP), which will assist both internally displaced Iraqis and the refugees. The CAP, with UNHCR in the lead, will be launched at the end of this year and will focus on several sectors, including protection, education and health. The CAP will allow for greater transparency by detailing each agency's plans in the region. If funded, it will demonstrate to the Government of Iraq and its neighbors that donor governments are taking the displacement crisis and its effects on the region seriously. Donors must show their commitment to Iraq and to the region by fully funding the CAP and supporting UN efforts in the Middle East.

---

Advocate Kristele Younes and consultant Sayre Nyce assessed the situation for Iraqi refugees in Syria and Lebanon in September and October.