Executive Summary
This is a study of Iraqis displaced in Jordan, taking particular note of the urban settings in which the largest number of Iraqis have settled and of their specific status as "guests." It aims to inform near- and long-term planning regarding-and necessarily involving-Iraqis throughout the region, as well as to contribute a case study on this particular group of displaced persons to the development by UNHCR and other actors of policies that might be broadly applicable regarding refugees and other persons of concern in urban settings.
That the great majority of Iraqis in Jordan choose to live in its cities is clear. What also is clear is that for most of those displaced, whether a function of their individual thinking or of government policy, the choice to stay in Amman or some other city is not, or manifestly cannot be, permanent. Indeed, only a few have been able to obtain long-term residency or immigrant status; only a relatively small number are even registered as refugees or asylum seekers.
Regardless of where they are living, their legal status or the timeframe they might envision for their stay in Jordan, most of the displaced Iraqis face difficulties and traumas often multiple in nature, dealing with the loss of their former lives, homes, jobs and communities inside Iraq and the death, brutalisation or scattering of members of the family and household. For large numbers of Iraqis in Jordan, each new day deepens the anxiety of diminishing resources-and prospects-even in a country generous with refuge.
The study was prepared by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) with the support of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs. It examines the motivations, current context and effects of both the Iraqi displacement and this conspicuous urban preference, framing central issues and approaches to assistance and protection for the Iraqis during their displacement and beyond. Moreover, given that not only the governments in the region and international community but also the Iraqis themselves recognise the need for-and difficulty of crafting-durable solutions, the paper develops a coherence between human and national security and development perspectives, between particular obstacles and opportunities that arise for refugees and others displaced in urban settings, and among status-related vulnerabilities.
Concluding that short-term humanitarian approaches focussed on relief, are, by nature, insufficient for addressing the long-term challenges posed by this particular displacement situation, an alternative approach is suggested. This new approach offers an effective foundation upon which the continuum of short and long-term relief and development programs can build, actively engaging each of the actors concerned, including those who are themselves displaced.
The result is a set of four practical recommendations that can help to lay the foundation for durable solutions, recommendations to:
1. Restore mobility
Restoring the mobility of Iraqis is a key to improving their capacity to access existing social services, ensure contact with separated family members and maintain ties with Iraq. Rather than reopening borders between Jordan and Iraq, a legal status such as "temporary resident" would be highly appropriate. This temporary residency would need to secure the right of re-entry to Jordan, be it from Iraq, or any other country. A limited regularisation of irregular Iraqis in Jordan could be carried out based on the model of previous campaigns for migrant workers, waiving overstay fines and without distinguishing between those who arrived in Jordan before or after the April 2003 regime change.
2. Restore families and communities
Restoring family unity and integrity, especially through facilitating cross-border reunification, should be a first priority-particularly considering that community formation will be difficult to achieve without first ensuring that families have been reunited. In a medium-term perspective, legal stability is required for restoring communities, followed by the right to form, at a minimum, non-political associations. Within this framework, the extensive capacities of the Iraqi exile community in Jordan must be mobilised through the establishment of Iraqi-run community-based organisations that would open social, educational, recreational and other activities on a non-discriminatory basis, to Iraqis and Jordanians alike.
3. Restore livelihoods
Iraqis should be systematically granted the possibility to earn their livelihoods through initiatives operated within Jordan, with a view however, to rebuilding the economy and society in Iraq. In fact, most local economic initiatives by Iraqis in Jordan are thought of in relation to Iraq (import/export in particular), or to other Iraqis in Jordan or in other countries of emigration and, in this sense, do not threaten the economic security of Jordanians. Continued international aid to Jordan will allow for an expanded capacity to include Iraqi migrants in the country's development efforts.
4. Prepare preconditions for return
Return should be envisioned as a process to be comprehensively prepared over time and one which will entail several voluntary steps, including preliminary return visits, which may concern only some members of a household, while others will opt to stay in Jordan or settle elsewhere. Refugees and displaced persons need not only to be able to gauge for themselves the level of security available at home, but also to be able to return or withdraw to a safe host country.
Concerned institutional actors, including the government of Jordan and Iraq, should facilitate the endeavours of those who will want to go back to Iraq and make individual assessments prior to making decisions regarding return. Not only are such initiatives critical to inform those displaced of the legal, institutional and security contexts relevant for their reinstallation in Iraq, cross-border mobility and enhanced possibilities to concurrently maintain livelihoods and education opportunities in Jordan are instrumental preconditions to durable return to Iraq in the future.