According to IOM's latest Displacement and Return Assessment Report
published this week, the Government of Iraq is placing increased
emphasis on the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and
refugees through a variety of legal and practical measures,
including an allocation of ID 250 billion (USD 213 million) for all
expenditures related to return support.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Order 101, which took effect on
September 1st, requires that all squatters vacate houses they
unlawfully occupy in Baghdad or face prosecution. All squatters who
accept to leave property will receive a compensation of ID 300,000
(USD 255) per month for six months, to help them identify
alternative housing options.

The Prime Minister's Order also establishes return facilitation
centres in Baghdad, with plans to expand this system throughout the
country. These centres assist returnees to register, to receive a
returnee grant of ID 1 million (USD 852), and to resolve property
issues they may encounter upon their return.

As of 21 September, and based on available information from the
Ministry of  Displacement and Migration (MoDM) returnee
registration, IOM and field visits by MoDM monitors, United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) rapid assessments, and other
sources, 16,782 families totalling 100,692 individuals have
returned to Baghdad.

An additional 11,986 returnee families have been identified in
the rest of the country, 8,691 of whom are in Anbar and Diyala
governorates. Countrywide, 92 per cent of returns are from internal
displacement.

While security in many parts of the country is improving and new
displacements are decreasing, the report notes that many IDPs are
still unable or unwilling to return home and are in need of basic
humanitarian assistance such as food and non-food items.

Many IDPs continue to face the threat of eviction. In the Rusafa
district of Baghdad, more than 500 displaced families have been
informed that they must vacate their dwellings. Other groups of
displaced families are reportedly facing eviction in Babylon,
Basrah, Kirkuk, Missan and Qadissiya governorates.

According to the report, drought is a major concern for
displaced and host communities alike, and has even caused some new
displacement, for example in Anbar, where families who depend on
grazing land have had to move to find better conditions.

The estimated number of IDPs since the bombing of the Samarra
Al-Askari Mosque in February 2006 is almost 1,596,448 individuals.
This figure, combined with the estimated 1,212,108 individuals who
were internally displaced before February 2006, means that more
than 2.8 million individuals are currently displaced within the
country.  

Returnee reports, along with IOM's regular reporting on
displacement, including governorate profiles, biweekly updates,
tent camp updates, and yearly and mid-year reviews, are available
at "http://www.iom-iraq.net/library.html#IDP" target="_blank" title=
"">http://www.iom-iraq.net/library.html#IDP