thedrifter
05-01-09, 06:49 AM
Most Iraqi refugees won't return home
By The Associated Press; By Zeina Karam
DAMASCUS, Syria — The vast majority of Iraqis who fled their country have no plans to return even though violence has declined, many hoping instead to resettle in the West.
The trends, uncovered on the basis of scores of interviews by The Associated Press and confirmed by Iraqi government and U.N. figures, raise the possibility that countries such as Syria and Egypt — poor themselves — could face a significant refugee problem for years.
Iraq may never, or at least not for years, recover much of the urban, educated, predominantly Sunni Muslim and Christian middle class whose skills would be vital to its rebuilding. The ranks of doctors and other medical professions have been particularly hard-hit by the refugee flight.
More than 2 million refugees remain outside Iraq, mostly in the Sunni countries of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, according to the International Organization of Migration and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Only about 16,000 refugees — less than 1 percent — have returned from abroad, said Karim al-Saedi, an Iraqi Migration Ministry official.
Besides Iraqis who fled abroad, approximately 1.6 million people have left their homes to take refuge in other parts of Iraq since 2006. They too have been slow to return: About 297,000, or 18 percent, are believed to have gone back, according to an April report by the International Organization of Migration.
In Syria, which has the greatest refugee population — estimated by the government at 1.2 million — only 670 people have asked to benefit from the U.N.'s Voluntary Repatriation Program launched in October to help Iraqis return home, said Philippe Leclerc, acting representative for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Damascus.
"The situation in Iraq is still extremely fragile," making many reluctant to return, Leclerc said.
While violence is dramatically down from its height in 2006-2007, the fragility has been clear in the past week, with a string of suicide bombings targeting Shiite areas of Baghdad. In the latest, two car bombs tore through a crowded commercial district, killing 51 people Wednesday.
Refugees say the lack of basic services and continuing unemployment in Iraq also are reasons they prefer to stay put in neighboring countries, where — even if their savings are running low and their status uncertain — many can find schools and under-the-table jobs.
Also, Sunni-Shiite sectarian divisions remain deep in Iraq. Some refugees have returned home only to find the hatreds too strong, prompting them to leave again.
Batoul Saleh, a Sunni retired teacher who fled to Cairo with her daughter three years ago, went back to Baghdad in late 2007 only to find that a Shiite man and his family had taken over her house in the mainly Shiite Shula district. The man told her that his father's home was taken over by Sunnis 30 years ago "and it's payback time," Saleh said.
Many among the refugees in Syria are Sunnis, including some Saddam Hussein loyalists or former members of his Baath party. They remain wary of Iraq's Shiite-dominated government and do not trust the prime minister's call for reconciliation.
Overall, the lack of returning refugees could leave Iraq more Shiite than before the U.S.-led invasion. Sunnis formed the bedrock of the educated middle class under Saddam's regime, needed as Iraq rebuilds.
Their reluctance to return only solidifies Iraq's sectarian imbalance. Baghdad, which once had about equal numbers from the two sects, is now believed to have a firm Shiite majority, with formerly Sunni districts emptied or filled with Shiites.
That boosts the power of Shiite parties in elections. It even skews the vote among Sunnis, since those who left were largely urban and educated, leaving greater rural and tribal influence on Sunni politicians.
There are numbers of Shiites among the refugees in Egypt and Syria, also fearful to return home to areas that remain Sunni-dominated. But Iraqi Shiites from Iran have flooded home.
Before the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, mainly Shiite Iran was home to more than 200,000 Iraqi refugees, mostly Shiites fleeing repression under Saddam's regime. The vast majority returned home after Saddam's fall, although about 54,000 remain in Iran.
Salem Mohsen, 28, a Sunni from the volatile Diyala province north of Baghdad, fled to Syria with his family after he was kidnapped and tortured for two months. His application to resettle in the United States was rejected. He now plans to go back.
Ellie
By The Associated Press; By Zeina Karam
DAMASCUS, Syria — The vast majority of Iraqis who fled their country have no plans to return even though violence has declined, many hoping instead to resettle in the West.
The trends, uncovered on the basis of scores of interviews by The Associated Press and confirmed by Iraqi government and U.N. figures, raise the possibility that countries such as Syria and Egypt — poor themselves — could face a significant refugee problem for years.
Iraq may never, or at least not for years, recover much of the urban, educated, predominantly Sunni Muslim and Christian middle class whose skills would be vital to its rebuilding. The ranks of doctors and other medical professions have been particularly hard-hit by the refugee flight.
More than 2 million refugees remain outside Iraq, mostly in the Sunni countries of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, according to the International Organization of Migration and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Only about 16,000 refugees — less than 1 percent — have returned from abroad, said Karim al-Saedi, an Iraqi Migration Ministry official.
Besides Iraqis who fled abroad, approximately 1.6 million people have left their homes to take refuge in other parts of Iraq since 2006. They too have been slow to return: About 297,000, or 18 percent, are believed to have gone back, according to an April report by the International Organization of Migration.
In Syria, which has the greatest refugee population — estimated by the government at 1.2 million — only 670 people have asked to benefit from the U.N.'s Voluntary Repatriation Program launched in October to help Iraqis return home, said Philippe Leclerc, acting representative for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Damascus.
"The situation in Iraq is still extremely fragile," making many reluctant to return, Leclerc said.
While violence is dramatically down from its height in 2006-2007, the fragility has been clear in the past week, with a string of suicide bombings targeting Shiite areas of Baghdad. In the latest, two car bombs tore through a crowded commercial district, killing 51 people Wednesday.
Refugees say the lack of basic services and continuing unemployment in Iraq also are reasons they prefer to stay put in neighboring countries, where — even if their savings are running low and their status uncertain — many can find schools and under-the-table jobs.
Also, Sunni-Shiite sectarian divisions remain deep in Iraq. Some refugees have returned home only to find the hatreds too strong, prompting them to leave again.
Batoul Saleh, a Sunni retired teacher who fled to Cairo with her daughter three years ago, went back to Baghdad in late 2007 only to find that a Shiite man and his family had taken over her house in the mainly Shiite Shula district. The man told her that his father's home was taken over by Sunnis 30 years ago "and it's payback time," Saleh said.
Many among the refugees in Syria are Sunnis, including some Saddam Hussein loyalists or former members of his Baath party. They remain wary of Iraq's Shiite-dominated government and do not trust the prime minister's call for reconciliation.
Overall, the lack of returning refugees could leave Iraq more Shiite than before the U.S.-led invasion. Sunnis formed the bedrock of the educated middle class under Saddam's regime, needed as Iraq rebuilds.
Their reluctance to return only solidifies Iraq's sectarian imbalance. Baghdad, which once had about equal numbers from the two sects, is now believed to have a firm Shiite majority, with formerly Sunni districts emptied or filled with Shiites.
That boosts the power of Shiite parties in elections. It even skews the vote among Sunnis, since those who left were largely urban and educated, leaving greater rural and tribal influence on Sunni politicians.
There are numbers of Shiites among the refugees in Egypt and Syria, also fearful to return home to areas that remain Sunni-dominated. But Iraqi Shiites from Iran have flooded home.
Before the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, mainly Shiite Iran was home to more than 200,000 Iraqi refugees, mostly Shiites fleeing repression under Saddam's regime. The vast majority returned home after Saddam's fall, although about 54,000 remain in Iran.
Salem Mohsen, 28, a Sunni from the volatile Diyala province north of Baghdad, fled to Syria with his family after he was kidnapped and tortured for two months. His application to resettle in the United States was rejected. He now plans to go back.
Ellie