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
Related news and stories
Twelve years on, Syrian refugees face deepening debt and hunger
UN Refugee Agency warns of extreme hardship for forcibly displaced families this winter
Iraqi doctor provides care and comfort to Yazidi survivors
Iraqi doctor provides care and comfort to Yazidi survivors
Yazidi women box their way to recovery
The 'Boxing Sisters' of Rwanga IDP Camp in Duhok, Iraq
-
Statement to the Media by the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations
3 Dec 2019 UNHCR Headquarters, Geneva. -
Farmers return to Iraq's fruit basket
2 Dec 2019 -
Taking on traffickers at the world's largest refugee site
2 Dec 2019 UNHCR works closely with Bangladesh authorities to protect vulnerable Rohingya refugees from abduction and human trafficking at Kutupalong refugee settlement. -
GRF- Footbal; Event Flyer
2 Dec 2019 -
Returning to ruins, displaced Iraqi farmers find help to rebuild
2 Dec 2019 Displaced for two years following ISIS advance in 2014, returning Iraqis in Yathrib benefit from irrigation and home rehabilitation projects to reestablish their farms. -
Decentralised Evaluation of UNHCR's livelihood Programme in Malaysia (2015-2018)
Dec 2019 This independent evaluation of UNHCR's livelihoods and economic inclusion activities in Malaysia (2015-2018) is part of a multi-country evaluation commissioned by the UNHCR Evaluation Service and conducted by TANGO International. Attachments: ES/2019/14:UNHCR Evaluation Management Response (.pdf) -
Synthesis of Rohingya Response Evaluations of IOM, UNICEF and UNHCR
Dec 2019 -
Decentralised Evaluation of UNHCR's livelihood Programme in Djibouti (2015-2018)
Dec 2019 This independent evaluation of UNHCR's livelihoods and economic inclusion activities in Djibouti (2015-2018) is part of a multi-country evaluation commissioned by the UNHCR Evaluation Service and conducted by TANGO International. The purpose of the evaluation is two-fold: To contribute evidence to inform UNHCR's global strategy development and implementation in the selected country operations (Djibouti, Malaysia, Mauritania, Senegal and South Sudan); and to provide recommendations that will lead to enhanced economic inclusion of persons of concern (PoC) globally, by assisting the organisation to develop further guidance on the approach to livelihoods, self-reliance, and economic inclusion for refugees. Attachments: Management Response ES/2019/13 (.pdf) -
Independent Desk Review of UNHCR's Global Strategy - Beyond Detention 2014-2019
Dec 2019 Attachments: Executive Summary (.pdf)