Publication

20 December 2013

Internal Displacement in Iraq: Barriers to Integration

Internal Displacement in Iraq: Barriers to Integration

This report looks into the issues pertinent to the integration of IDPs in Iraq, including their evolving opinions and perceptions, host communities, and the relevant authorities at national, provincial and local levels. The analysis seeks to understand this information through the framework of durable solutions, as set out by the international standards, highlighting to what extent integration, as a durable solution, has been achieved. Around 85 percent of those who remain displaced now intend to integrate. This is understandable because displaced individuals moved to areas where they are part of a dominant ethno-sectarian group, often joining extended family, tribal or clan members with whom they share a common identity and associated practices. Once a displaced population arrives in a host community, the decision to stay and attempt to integrate is centered on the ability to secure work and accommodation. However, remaining in a particular area of displacement may not be decision at all, as there is often no other option available; in many cases IDPs can neither return home nor move elsewhere.