Iraq: Restrictions on exit from Iraq for health professionals; reasons for such restrictions in the past; whether medical school is funded by the state and do graduates from fields like medicine have financial or service obligations

According to Country Reports 2000: "the [Iraqi] Government restricts foreign travel by journalists, authors, university professors, doctors, scientists, and all employees of the Ministry of Information" (2001, section 2d).

In its World Report 1996, Human Rights Watch stated the following concerning the exit of Iraqi professionals from Iraq:

In the face of worsening conditions hundreds of thousands of Iraqis fled their country and many others tried to leave. In response to this major exodus of the mainly middle class, the government took several steps. To stem the flow of government employees to other countries the government enacted laws restricting their right to exit Iraq. And to keep state employees from taking better paying jobs in the private sector, the government prevented them, by law, from resigning from their positions. Iraq placed onerous exit taxes on professionals, especially doctors and dentists, to prevent them from easily leaving the country (Dec. 1995, 282-83).

In March 2000, two American physicians, Leila J. Richards and Stephen N. Wall, published in the British medical magazine The Lancet the findings of their mission to Iraq in 1999. They stated the following concerning the Iraqi medical education and travel restrictions imposed on physicians:

Iraqi medical education is based on the 6-year British curriculum and is carried out in English. Medical education is free, and before sanctions were imposed all required textbooks were provided free to students. Postgraduate residency training is required for both Iraqi and Arab board certification in each specialty. Before the Gulf War, the government funded subspecialty training abroad, and most members of the senior faculty we met had been trained in British or American hospitals (March 2000).

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The intellectual embargo also restricts travel to and from Iraq. Travel to Iraq from the USA is punishable by a fine and a prison term. [World Health Organization] WHO has sought the United Nations' permission to bring consultants to conduct training conferences in Iraq, and to arrange for Iraqi physicians to take courses abroad, but to date without success. Iraqi physicians who wish to attend international conferences also face travel restrictions. Several physicians spoke of being denied visas to European countries or the USA to attend medical conferences, even when invited as guest speakers by conference organisers.

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For more information on the situation of Iraqi medical education, please consult the full article.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2000. 2001. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. [Accessed: 28 May 2001]

Human Rights Watch (HRW). December 1995. Human Rights Watch World Report 1996. New York: HRW.

The Lancet [London]. Richads, J. Leila and Stephen N. Wall. Vol. 355, No. 9209. March 2000. "Iraqi Medical Education Under the Intellectual Embargo." (Peace Movement Aotearoa) [Accessed 25 May 2001]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

Internet sites including:

Commission on Human Rights

Home Office - Immigration Directorate

International Committee of the Red Cross

Iraq Foundation

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)

Office fédéral des réfugiés

UNESCO

U.S. Department of State

World Health Organization (WHO)