Iraq refugee problem unresolved despite resettlement
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 June 2010 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq refugee problem unresolved despite resettlement, 18 June 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4c2b5e481c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 18, 2010
Displaced families in Sulaimaneya province, Iraq (file photo)
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says more refugees from Iraq are being resettled but the country's displacement problem remains unresolved.
Antonio Guterres was speaking in Syria, where he is to mark World Refugee Day on June 20.
He said around 52,000 Iraqis have been resettled, mostly in the United States, since 2007.
The refugee agency has recommended another 48,000 should be accepted by host countries.
The bulk of refugee applications have come from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Turkey, where most of the 1.8 million Iraqi refugees abroad live.
Guterres also said that only 241,500 refugees out of a total of 15 million worldwide returned voluntarily to their homes last year, the lowest level in 20 years. Of those, 38,000 were Iraqi.
compiled from agency reports
Link to original story on RFE/RL website