UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

H. Others .................................................................................................................. 120
1. Women.................................................................................................................... 120
a) Situation in Central and Southern Iraq ....................................................... 120
b) Situation of Women in the Region of Kurdistan .......................................... 122
c) Single Women and Women Head of Household .......................................... 124
2. Sexual Orientation................................................................................................... 125
a) General........................................................................................................ 125
b) Current Situation......................................................................................... 125
3. Persons Accused of “Un-Islamic” Behaviour ......................................................... 127
V. ELIGIBILITY FOR INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION............................130
A. Overall Approach ............................................................................................... 130
B. Inclusion for Refugee Status Under the 1951 Convention Criteria ............... 132
1. Well-Founded Fear of Persecution.......................................................................... 133
2. Link With a 1951 Convention Ground.................................................................... 135
a) Race, Religion, Nationality and Political Opinion...................................... 136
b) Membership of a Particular Social Group .................................................. 137
C. Exclusion From International Refugee Protection .......................................... 138
1. Acts Within the Scope of Article 1F ....................................................................... 139
a) Before the Fall of the Former Regime......................................................... 140
b) After the Fall of the Former Regime ........................................................... 141
2. Crimes Against Peace, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity (Article
1F[a]) ...................................................................................................................... 141
a) Crimes Against Peace ................................................................................. 141
b) War Crimes ................................................................................................. 142
i. International Armed Conflict ........................................................... 142
ii. Non-International Armed Conflict ................................................... 143
c) Crimes Against Humanity............................................................................ 144
3. Serious Non-Political Crimes (Article 1F[b]) ......................................................... 145
4. Acts Contrary to the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations
(Article 1F[c])......................................................................................................... 146
5. Individual Responsibility ........................................................................................ 146
a) Basis for Incurring Individual Responsibility.............................................. 146
b) Grounds Negating Individual Responsibility............................................... 148
c) Proportionality Considerations................................................................... 149
d) Consequences of Exclusion ......................................................................... 149
D. Internal Flight or Relocation Alternative......................................................... 150
1. IFA/IRA in Areas of Central and Southern Iraq ..................................................... 150
a) The Relevance Analysis ............................................................................... 150
i. Risk of Persecution or Other Serious Harm Upon Relocation ......... 150
ii. Particular Considerations Relating to Formerly Arabized
Areas ................................................................................................ 151
iii. Accessibility..................................................................................... 151
iv. Restrictions on Entry/Residency and/or Locations of
Settlement......................................................................................... 155
b) The Reasonableness Analysis...................................................................... 156
i. Access to Food (Public Distribution System, PDS) ......................... 157
ii. Access to Shelter.............................................................................. 157
iii. Access to Basic Services (Water, Sanitation, Health)...................... 158
iv. Access to Income and Employment ................................................. 158
v. Access to Education ......................................................................... 159
c) Conclusion................................................................................................... 159
2. IFA/IRA in the Three Northern Governorates of Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and
Dahuk ..................................................................................................................... 159
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