‘We have provided an excellent situation for refugees,’ says KRG minister

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed gave a speech on Wednesday at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, where he claimed there are “tens of thousands of refugees in the Kurdistan Region.”

"The federal [Iraqi] constitution and the Kurdistan Region coordinate with the international community and other organizations to provide refugees with everything they need,” the Interior Minister added and noted, “We have provided an excellent situation for refugees.”

Ahmed also explained that in the Kurdistan Region, in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have issued specific guidelines for working with refugees and asylum seekers.

Moreover, he revealed that the Iraqi Interior Ministry had prepared a law to regulate the rights of asylum seekers.

"Iraq has shown its readiness and commitment to dealing with other situations, especially climate change and the current war in Gaza. We are afraid that the Palestinians will be forced to seek refuge in other countries, so we call for a humanitarian ceasefire to end the war,” the Minister stressed.

The Global Refugee Forum 2023 takes place from Dec. 13-15 at the Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, with linked events held in other locations from Dec. 11 onwards, per the UNHCR's official website.

Held every four years, the Forum is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees. It is designed to support the practical implementation of the objectives set out in the Global Compact on Refugees: ease pressures on host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance, increase access to third-country solutions, and improve conditions in countries of origin.