Internal Displacement of Christian Families in Northern Iraq Subsides, Emigration Rises: IOM Report
IOM's latest report on the displacement of Christians in Northern
Iraq shows that while internal displacement is declining, with some
families returning to their places of origin or deciding to
integrate into their new communities, others are choosing to
emigrate to neighbouring countries to escape growing insecurity, a
lack of work opportunities, and difficulties continuing their
education.
Data from IOM teams, which have monitored Christian displacement
since the October 2010 attack on the Saidat al-Najat church in
Baghdad in which 58 people were killed, shows a marked decrease in
the number of these displaced families across the four northern
governorates of Dahuk, Erbil, Ninewa and Sulaymaniyah from over
1,350 a year ago to under 500 at the end of last month.
Link
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target="_blank" title="">Displacement of Christians to the North
of Iraq, 31 January 2012
The report cites insecurity in Northern Iraq – an area
previously regarded as safe for religious minorities – as a
main cause. Christians in Mosul have repeatedly been threatened and
targeted for violence. In Dahuk, Islamist rioters and arsonists
have targeted Christian-owned properties, and there has been a
recent spate of kidnappings of Christians in the town of
Ainkawa.
Displaced Christian families have therefore been forced to
choose between remaining in the northern governorates, returning to
even more insecure places of origin in the rest of the country, or
emigrating to Turkey, Jordan or, in some cases, Syria. (UNHCR
Turkey reported a significant increase in Iraqi registrations in
2011, with approximately 1,700 of newly registered Iraqis being
Christian).
The report is an update of emergency assessments conducted in
the immediate aftermath of the October 31, 2010 bombing and attacks
on Christians. These assessments showed that Christians faced
numerous challenges that would impact their ability to successfully
integrate. Many Christians displaced from Baghdad were unable to
sell their homes for a fair price to support themselves in their
areas of displacement, where rents for apartments and houses have
in some cases tripled over the past year.
According to IOM's earlier emergency assessments of these newly
displaced Christian families, a third of displaced families were
living with host families or relatives and 57 per cent were living
in rented accommodation.
Those who share accommodation with relatives often live in
over-crowded homes, while those who live in rented accommodation
are especially vulnerable to secondary displacement due to rising
costs. As displaced families left monasteries, churches and host
family homes to seek more permanent shelter over the course of
2011, their inability to gain sustainable livelihoods and
affordable housing drove many to emigrate or return to their places
of origin.
In addition to the strain of high rent prices and lack of
employment, many displaced families were unable to send their
children to school due to language barriers or because they were
not able to transfer their registration.
IOM, in addition to monitoring the situation of displaced
Christian families has also, with its humanitarian partners,
delivered essential non-food relief items to some 600 families in
the four northern governorates in 2010 and 2011.
For further information, please contact:
Keegan de Lancie
IOM Iraq
Tel: +962 6 565 9660
E-mail:
"mailto:kdelancie@iom.int">kdelancie@iom.int
or visit:
"http://www.iomiraq.net/Documents/IOM%20Christian%20Displacement%20Update,%2031%20January%202012.pdf"
target="_blank" title=
"">http://www.iomiraq.net/Documents/IOM%20Christian%20Displacement%20Update,%2031%20January%202012.pdf