Return of Iraqi Refugees

We have reported in the past about the refugee problem resulting from the war in Iraq.  The Washington Post reports that the possible return of about 4.5 million people who fled sectarian conflict poses complex challenge for Iraqi leaders, U.S. military, diplomats and aid workers.  When the Iraqi government last month invited home the 1.4 million refugees who had fled Iraq for Syria — and said it would send buses to pick them up — the United Nations and the U.S. military reacted with horror. U.N. refugee officials immediately advised against the move, saying any new arrivals risked homelessness, unemployment and deprivation in a nation struggling to take care of the people already here. For the military, the prospect of refugees returning to reclaim houses long since occupied by others, particularly in Baghdad, threatened to destroy fragile security improvements.

It seems that the process of refugee restettlement in Iraq needs considederably more planning.  We will keep you posted.

KJ