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