More than 2 million Iraqi refugees have fled from persecution and violence in Iraq, mostly to Jordan and Syria, but also to other countries. Another 2 million more are displaced within Iraq.

Some have fled from religious or ethnic persecution. Others have been targeted because of their professions or because of their work for the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations or the media. Iraqis who have served as translators for the U.S. forces, for example, have been attacked and threatened. Also in danger are Palestinian refugees who had been living for years in Iraq, but are now the target of attacks.

Many have been unable to flee the country, as neighboring countries have sometimes refused entry to those who are trying to escape from Iraq.  Both Jordan and Syria have closed their borders at points to refugees.  While neither state has signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its Protocol, under customary international law, all nations are obligated to refrain from returning refugees to persecution. 

Scope of the Iraqi Refugee Crisis

For those who make it to Jordan, Syria or other states, their difficulties are far from over.  Both Jordan and Syria have been overwhelmed by the large numbers of refugees. Iraqi refugees in exile face many problems, including deportation, detention, lack of food, housing and other aid, lack of security, lack of education and various kinds of exploitation.

On June 19, 2007, U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy and Gordon Smith introduced a bi-partisan bill, called the “Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act,” which would extend a lifeline to some of Iraq’s most vulnerable refugees and displaced people, including those who have worked with the U.S. government, the U.S. media or U.S. non-governmental groups. The bill will:  

• Allow persecuted Iraqis with close work or family ties to the United States to apply directly for resettlement in the United States.

• Create 5,000 special visas for Iraqis who worked directly with the United States and call for protection of those who are in imminent danger of death.  

• Ask the Secretary of State to work with refugee-hosting countries to develop long-term solutions and aid packages to help the vast majority of the Iraqi refugees who will remain in the region.

The U.S. Response to the Refugee Crisis

At a January 16, 2007 oversight hearing on “The Plight of Iraqi Refugees,” Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) expressed concern that the United States admitted only 202 Iraqi refugees to the country during the last fiscal year and that a special immigrant visa program for Iraqi and Afghan translators already had a six-year wait list. 

On February 14, 2007, the United States State Department announced that the U.S. would:

• resettle 7,000 Iraqi refugees in the United States through its resettlement program;
• create special programs (including through legislation) to assist Iraqis who are at risk because of their employment or close association with the United States government;
• contribute $18 million to the work of the UN High Commission for Refugees, as well as provide other aid; and
• engage the governments in the region, thanking them for their assistance and encouraging them to uphold the principle of first asylum.

But so far, the United States has brought only a handful of Iraqi refugees to the United States this year, and much more assistance is needed to ensure the safety and protection of Iraqi refugees and those displaced within Iraq.   As of June 20 – World Refugee Day – the United States had resettled only 272 Iraqi refugees since October 2005. 

Read op-ed "Fleeing Our Responsibility: The U.S. Owes Succor to Iraqi Refugees"

Read op-ed "Iraqi refugee crisis grows"

NY Times Op Ed: Iraqis who paid ransoms may be denied asylum
by US (04/18/07)

Read U.S. State Department announcement

Read New Yorker article about Iraqi translators fleeing violence (3/26/07)

Read 60 Minutes piece on Iraqi translators and the adequacy of the U.S. response (3/11/07)

Asylum Hurdles and Families Divided  

Some Iraqi refugees have sought refuge in Europe and the United States.  Only a small number have made it to the United States.  In fiscal year 2006, only 511 Iraqis filed for asylum in the United States. These asylum seekers can face the same hurdles that plague refugees in the asylum process, including detention in U.S. immigration jails. Once granted asylum, they face the tremendous difficulty of bringing their families to safety in this country.

Read UN Statistics: 22,200 Iraqis seek asylum in industrial countries

Read New York Times article on Iraqi refugees in the United States (sub. req.)

Recommendations

The United States should:  

• Step up aid for the region and for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to provide assistance and protection to refugees in Jordan, Syria and elsewhere, and encourage countries of first asylum to keep their borders open to refugees as required under international law;  
• Increase its commitment to bringing refugees to safety through the U.S. resettlement program - including vulnerable populations, religious minorities, and Iraqis who have been targeted because of their ties to the United States or to groups viewed as connected to the U.S.;      
• Pass special legislation to bring to safety in the United States translators and others  who are at risk because of their ties to the U.S. government or to U.S. organizations;
• Bring to safety in the United States the families of American citizens, Iraqi refugees, asylees and other Iraqis who reside in the United States;
• Ensure that Iraqis who seek asylum in the United States are treated fairly and in a manner consistent with this country’s commitments under the Refugee Convention and Protocol.

Learn More

To learn more, visit the website of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

To learn more about Human Rights First’s advocacy for refugees, click here.

To learn more about Human Rights First’s pro bono representation of asylum seekers, click here.