UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

Table of Contents
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.........................................................................................6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................9
A. Current Situation in Iraq....................................................................................... 9
B. Summary of Main Groups Perpetrating Violence and Groups at Risk ............ 9
1. Main Groups Practicing Violence............................................................................... 9
2. Main Groups at Risk ................................................................................................. 10
3. Arab Refugees........................................................................................................... 14
C. Assessing the International Protection Needs of Iraqi Asylum-Seekers.......... 14
1. Overall Approach...................................................................................................... 14
2. Refugee Status Under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees ................................................................................................................... 16
I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................21
II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION....................................................................23
A. Security, Political and Human Rights Situation ................................................ 23
B. Constitutional and Legislative Situation ............................................................ 27
1. Freedom of Religion ................................................................................................. 28
2. De-Arabization.......................................................................................................... 29
3. Personal Status .......................................................................................................... 31
4. Criminal Sanctions.................................................................................................... 32
5. National Security....................................................................................................... 34
III. MAIN GROUPS PRACTICING VIOLENCE..................................................35
A. General .................................................................................................................. 35
B. Lack of National Protection................................................................................. 35
C. Main Groups Perpetrating Violence................................................................... 37
1. Insurgent Groups....................................................................................................... 37
2. Iraqi Security Forces and Shi’ite militias.................................................................. 40
3. Criminal Groups........................................................................................................ 44
4. Kurdish Armed Forces .............................................................................................. 45
5. Family, Community, Tribe........................................................................................ 45
IV. PARTICULAR GROUPS AT RISK ..................................................................47
A. Religious Groups................................................................................................... 47
1. Muslims..................................................................................................................... 47
a) Shi’ites and Sunnis Civilians......................................................................... 47
i) Historical Background of the Sectarian Division in Iraq ................... 47
ii) The Emergence of the Current Sectarian Violence ............................ 48
iii) Current Situation ................................................................................ 50
iv) Affected Areas ................................................................................... 53
b) Shi’ite-Sunni Mixed Families ........................................................................ 55
c) Shabak ........................................................................................................... 55
2. Non-Muslim Religious Groups ................................................................................. 57
a) Christians ...................................................................................................... 59
i) General............................................................................................... 59
ii) Displacement of Christians Since 2003.............................................. 60
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