US ‘concerned’ about Iraqi officials forcing displaced to return home

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The United States embassy in Baghdad on Monday expressed “grave concern” over reports that displaced people in Anbar and Salahuddin camps were forcibly returned to their homes.

In an official statement, the embassy said it was “deeply concerned” by the recent reports and reiterated “the support of the US government for a safe, dignified, and voluntary return of those displaced by military operations” against the Islamic State (IS).

The statement also warned the premature return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes could threaten the lives of the displaced and expel them again.

“Forcing individuals to return before they are ready and feel secure to do so threatens their welfare and safety and may lead to their displacement once again,” the US embassy said.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis still live in camps scattered in many provinces, most of which are run by Iraqi authorities, international humanitarian organizations, and UN-sponsored agencies.

According to recent reports, several IDPs have been forced to return to their homes from camps in Anbar and elsewhere in Salahuddin.

Last Friday, Iraqi authorities announced that over 1,000 displaced families had been repatriated to their newly liberated areas from IS in Anbar and other provinces.

The Ministry of Displacement and Migration did not announce whether the repatriation of IDPs was carried out in a compulsory manner or according to the principle of “voluntary repatriation.”

Displaced people fear physical retaliation if they return to their areas which have been severely damaged by fighting.

“While we strongly support the initiatives of the [Iraqi government] to help displaced people return to their home, we believe that the real way to ensure the success of these initiatives is to have the full and informed consent of the individuals and families concerned,” the statement added.

Since the emergence of IS in 2014, the Kurdistan Region has sheltered nearly 1.8 million IDPs and refugees fleeing the militant group, stressing on many occasions that the return of displaced people to their homes should be voluntary.

Editing by Sam A.