UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

g. Growing dissatisfaction with alleged corruption, restrictions on the freedom of the
press and the lack of public services generate regular demonstrations and public unrest
across the KRG-administered area; 814
h. Despite the KRG authorities’ commitment to respect human rights in their areas,
serious violations of human rights continue to take place with specific groups being
targeted. Journalists and media organizations have repeatedly claimed that press freedom is
restricted and that criticism of the ruling parties can lead to physical harassment, arrest and
imprisonment on fabricated charges. 815 In 2005 and 2006, street protests due to lack of
public services were at times violently suppressed, with large numbers killed, wounded or
arrested. 816 Furthermore, those perceived to be sympathetic to Islamist groups may be at
risk of arbitrary arrest and detention. In unofficial detention centres run by the political
parties’ security and intelligence apparatus, detainees are held incommunicado and without
judicial review of their detention for prolonged periods of time. The use of torture and other
forms of ill-treatment have also been reported. 817
In view of the ongoing power struggle, the Kurdish authorities aim to keep the area
“Kurdish” and are in principle reluctant to accept any increase of non-Kurdish populations.
Therefore, and for security-related reasons, the KRG authorities are implementing strict
controls on the presence of non-Kurdish persons. Depending on the applicant, especially his
or her ethnic and political profile, he/she may not be allowed to relocate to the three
Northern Governorates for security, political or demographic reasons. While certain factors
seem to lead clearly to denial of admission (e.g. former Ba’ath Party membership or
a criminal record), at times it is difficult to establish clear criteria to predict who will be
admitted or rejected.
Since the escalation of sectarian violence and consequent widespread displacement after the
Samarra bombing on 22 February 2006, scores of Iraqis, mainly Kurds and Christians
originating from the Region of Kurdistan, and, to a lesser extent, Arab Shi’ites and Sunnis
as well as Turkmen, have sought refuge in the relatively safe three Northern
Governorates. 818 International and national media have quite extensively covered this trend
814 See, for example, Ivan Watson, Kurdish Area Attracts Arabs — and Trouble, NPR, 23 January 2007,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6963948; RFE/RL, Iraq: Kurds Call For More
Government Accountability, 9 August 2006, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/08/b502064d-63c7-
484b-adcf-91b92c3d0d07.html; IWPR, Kurds Protest Energy Shortages, Iraq Crisis Report No. 184, 7 July
2006, http://www.iwpr.net/?p=icr&s=f&o=322133&apc_state=henh; IRIN, Iraq: Kurdish authorities vow to
upgrade services after protests, 19 March 2006, http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=26206.
815 See “Situation in the Region of Kurdistan”.
816 See “Persons Opposing the Ruling Parties”.
817 See “(Perceived) Members of Islamist Armed Groups”.
818 According to the KRG authorities, over 140,000 IDPs fled to the Region of Kurdistan by 10 May 2007.
9,175 IDP families (approximately 55,050 persons) entered Dahuk Governorate, which received the largest
number of newly displaced among the three Northern Governorates. The large majority of IDPs in Dahuk
Governorate are Kurds, around 10% are Christians and only about 5% are Arabs and Turkmen. Most Kurdish
and Christian IDP families fled to Dahuk because of their links to that Governorate. In the Governorate of
Erbil, 5,070 IDP families (approximately 30,420 persons) have sought refuge. They are composed of Arabs,
Kurds and Christians. The Kurdish IDPs usually have links to the Governorate of Erbil, while most Christians
and Arabs do not. In Sulaymaniyah Governorate, 9,643 families (approximately 57,858 persons) that arrived
since the Samarra bombing were registered. They mostly reside in Sulaymaniyah town and in Kalar District.
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