Reconstruction in north-east Syria key to refugee returns from Iraq, UNHCR official says
Reconstruction work in Syria must extend to Kurdish areas in the north-east if refugees are to return home, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Iraq has told The National . Toby Harward said the lack of economic opportunities and security in the region remained a major obstacle. “We see a lot of MoUs [memorandums of understanding] signed in Syria, we see a lot of agreements being signed,…
Reconstruction efforts in north-east Syria are crucial for encouraging the return of Syrian refugees residing in Iraq, according to Toby Harward, the UNHCR's representative in Iraq. The lack of economic opportunities and security in the region remains a significant barrier to their return. Harward noted that while there are numerous memorandums of understanding and plans for reinvestment, these need to extend to Kurdish areas to generate interest among Syrian refugees in Iraq to return.
Iraq currently hosts over 300,000 Syrian refugees, with 85% of them located in the autonomous Kurdistan Region, with the majority being Syrian Kurds. Refugee returns from Iraq to Syria began following the fall of the Assad regime, but have slowed down. The main reason for not returning, as cited by refugees, is the ongoing tensions and frictions between Arab and Kurdish components in the region. They feel that the younger generation will not have a future in Syria if these tensions persist.
Harward expressed optimism but cautioned that a single revenge kidnapping or killing on social media could undermine the positive developments. However, he also pointed out that some refugees have established livelihoods in Iraq, particularly in the Kurdish regions, due to progressive policies that provide access to services and livelihoods. Iraqi and Kurdish governments have made efforts to provide Syrians with work opportunities and a better living situation compared to refugees in other parts of the world.
Despite these efforts, Harward emphasized that the UNHCR's main priority in Iraq is to generate employment opportunities that allow refugees to become more independent in their host country. The return rate of Syrian refugees from federal Iraq is higher than from the Kurdish Region, primarily due to the availability of job opportunities.
Iraq also has nearly one million internally displaced people, including over 100,000 in camps in the Kurdistan Region, who fled their homes after ISIS seized large areas in 2014. Harward expressed concern over the ongoing stigma faced by returning refugees and called for measures to ensure their proper integration into their communities of origin.
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