Statement from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, Regarding Solutions for the Residents of Camp New Iraq (Ashraf)

GENEVA - I want to express my deep appreciation for the tireless efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Martin Kobler, to reach an agreement with the Government of Iraq regarding a process for the voluntary relocation of the residents of Camp New Iraq (former Camp Ashraf).

UNHCR is fully engaged in this initiative and looks forward to the voluntary and peaceful transfer of the asylum seekers to a temporary site so that UNHCR can proceed immediately with the determination of their status in accordance with its mandate.

I wish to commend the Government of Iraq for extending the deadline for the closure of the camp and for agreeing to provide the necessary facilities with safety and security, so that the process of verification and adjudication can be conducted in a timely and appropriate manner.

I urge all sides to cooperate in good faith to ensure a peaceful process and I reiterate my appeal to the international community to contribute to the achievement of durable solutions for those recognized as refugees through offering resettlement places.

For further information on this topic, please contact:

In Geneva, Leigh Foster, on mobile +41 79 557 9124

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PRIORITY SITUATIONS CORE GROUP: Joint Statement to the Global Refugee Forum, Dez 2019 (PDF)

29 Dec 2020

This document is the official joint statement made by the Priority Situations Core Group (PSCG) to the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in 2019, on behalf of the co-chairs and participating States. The Priority Situations Core Group (PSCG) – co-chaired by the Governments of Ireland and Sweden, with support from UNHCR – seeks to help optimize, coordinate, promote and ensure support for resettlement and complementary pathways for admission of refugees and to maximize the strategic impact of resettlement.