The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) notes that, on average, one in every 110 people is now displaced globally, “equivalent to an average of 44,400 people being forced to flee every day”, due largely to persecution, conflict, generalised violence, or human rights violations. The total number of displaced people in 2018 reached 68.5 million people, and still rising. Over 68% of all refugees are from Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Somalia, and the conflict in Syria was the major contributing factor to the dramatic rise in 2017. An estimated 12.6 million Syrians had been displaced either internally...

The main aims of this study are to:

A. Define the current status, and explore potential long term solutions, for the plight of Syrian refugees in the KRI. In particular, to examines three main solutions of:

1. voluntary repatriation.

2. local integration.

3. resettlement in a third country.

B. Examine the State practice of the KRI in its provision of education, health care, employment, and residency, to identify the challenges faced by the Syrian refugees.

The purpose here is to help policy-makers and international humanitarian organisations build a more nuanced picture of the Syrian refugee situation in the KRI....

This four month study was conducted between August and December 2017 in four camps in Erbil governorate: Basirma, Darashakran, Kawergosk, and Qushtapa. These camps host around 49% of the total Syrian refugee population, whereas the rest live outside the camps in Erbil or in the other two governorates of the KRI, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok. Syrian refugees in the four Erbil governorate camps covered in this study are listed in Table 2.

A multi-site qualitative and participatory method was chosen for this study. Four focus groups were arranged, each of which contained 12 Syrian refugees, making 48 in total. The participants...

The first durable solution of local integration which should be available to refugees to end their displacement and enable them to live normal lives is covered by Article 34 of the Refugee Convention, which provides that ‘[t]he Contracting States shall as far as possible facilitate the assimilation and naturalization of refugees’. The term ‘assimilation’ was later replaced with local integration or integration in the country of asylum. To identify whether Syrian refugees have access to this durable solution in the KRI, this research examines the legal framework in Iraq and the KRI, the refugee’s protection and their entitlement to residency...

The conflict in Syria is the major contributing factor to the mass exodus of refugees to the neighbouring countries, including the KRI where almost 25,000 reside. The international community has an obligation to address the sources of displacement. Moreover, international cooperation and responsibility sharing is required to alleviate the protracted displacement. This research has explored the prospects of durable solutions for the KRI based Syrian refugees. Based on the focus groups, interviews, and literature review, the following key findings emerged:

A. The majority of the Syrian refugees wish to repatriate, but had not done so because of the on-going political...

In most countries, including the KRI, refugees are viewed as a burden on the host community; however, by adopting the appropriate initiative, refugees can become agents for development and a crucial resource for the economic improvement in the Region. The initiative should go beyond the humanitarian relief phase and move towards improving quality of life and fostering a community spirit of self-reliance and cooperation, to prepare them for durable solutions. To achieve this, the KRI requires assistance from the international community and organisations to kick-start such initiatives. Once assistance is received, it is the responsibility of the KRI to invest...