What's happening with the Iraq War refugees?

Question

I heard many of them went to Syria, but Syria will not let the U.S. in to help the Iraqis displaced by the war. There has to be millions of people who left Iraq.

Answer 1

Don't feel too sorry for most of those 'refugees.' Most of them were connected to Saddams regime and fled the country to avoid prosecution.

Answer 2

This year (2007) Syria has taken in over one million (documented) refugees - no one has been able to calculate the actual number. The U.S. has taken in 190. Clearly, the U.S. has no intention of "helping" Iraqi refugees.

Answer 3

""Iraqis who are unable to flee the country are now in a queue, waiting their turn to die," is how one Iraqi journalist summarizes conditions in Iraq today
"With the violence in Iraq showing no sign of slowing down, civilians increasingly suffer. The UN estimates that 2.6 million Iraqis have fled violence in their country since 2003 and at least 40-50,000 more Iraqis are leaving their homes every month. Two million have fled to surrounding countries, while some 1.8 million have vacated their homes for safer areas within Iraq. Middle Eastern countries, Syria and Jordan in particular, have shown great generosity in welcoming Iraqis in the past three years, but that welcome is wearing thin. Other countries throughout the Middle East, including Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and Turkey are also seeing increased flows."

"Iraqis' resources are being further depleted by their inability to work legally in host countries. Jordan, Lebanon and Syria consider Iraqis as "guests" rather than refugees fleeing violence. Though most refugees have marketable skills, having worked as doctors, teachers, architects, blacksmiths, hair dressers, they are barred from practicing their trade. Additionally, many Iraqis are afraid to work for fear of having their papers checked and then being deported back to Iraq. These circumstances have plunged the Iraqi middle class amongst the urban poor in Damascus, Amman, and Beirut."
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=12377

Policy Recommendations

The United States must begin by acknowledging that violence in Iraq has made civilian life untenable, creating a refugee crisis that is essentially exporting the nation’s instability to neighboring countries. To deal with this crisis, Refugees International proposes the following:

1. Given its central role in Iraq, the US should lead an international initiative to support Middle Eastern countries hosting Iraqi civilians. The US should recognize and support the constructive role Syria is playing in hosting Iraqi refugees and help it keep its borders open.

2. Donors must continue to increase their support to UNHCR and other UN agencies must participate in the relief efforts for Iraqi refugees.

3. Western countries, including the US, must agree to resettle particularly vulnerable groups, without prejudice to their right to return to their country as recognized under international law.
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9679

By the way, another estimate points to 4M refugees, 2.2 who emigrated and 1.8 internally displaced. This is a catastrophe. Will the US follow up with its humanitarian rhetoric? or will the Middle East become a littered by refugee camps, cauldrons of discontent, hot spots of fanaticism?

Peace.

Answer 4

They leave to whatever country they can except Saudia Arabia, they wont let Iraqi's in. I know there are refugee camps somewhere in Iraq, I think the south. It all depends on their religion. Sunnis go to sunni countries and Shiites go to Shiite countries. Most of them have nowhere to go, it really messed up.

Answer 5

alot of them went to Sweden, Norway, and many other small countries, but I know theres alot in Sweden.

theres also a large Iraqi community in Michigan

Answer 6

Words can not explain it.

Answer 7

very bad.