Inclusion into the Social Safety Net
As part of the UN/UNHCR’s transition from individualized IDP humanitarian assistance to promoting their inclusion in Iraq’s existing public services and policies, UNHCR has been advocating with Iraq’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) to include IDPs in camps in its poverty alleviation scheme; the Social Safety Net (SSN) .
In a breakthrough development in February 2023, MoLSA decided to assess the 170,000 IDPs living in 25 camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) for enrolment in the SSN. The Ministry also decided to prioritize the assessment of IDPs and IDP returnees in urban areas across the country, regardless of whether they registered in MoLSA’s online registration system. This is because online registration is a requirement for any other Iraqi national claiming to meet the SSN poverty criteria.
IDPs who meet MoLSA’s vulnerability criteria will benefit from monthly cash payments to help them meet their basic needs (an average of $85/IQD 125,000 per person per month). Vulnerable families and individuals, including female-headed households and individuals with disabilities, will receive cash top-ups.
Prior to MoLSA’s IDP assessment campaign, the Ministry only assessed IDPs residing in Iraq’s federal governorates who were registered in the dedicated online platform. Meanwhile, IDPs residing in the KR-I could not self-register, as the online registration system did not accept residencies outside the Federal (Centre and South) territories. Given that all the remaining IDP camps are in the KR-I, this measure effectively excluded the entire IDP camp population from consideration into the SSN.
With regards to refugees, UNHCR is working with humanitarian and development actors to advocate with the Kurdistan Regional Government for legislative changes to re-establish and include refugees in a Public Social safety net in the KR-I.
Area-Based Programming for Protection and Solutions – A2PS
The Area-Based Programming for Protection and Solutions (A2PS) refers to UNHCR projects in areas with a high concentration of displaced populations, particularly refugees and asylum seekers, that benefit both displaced and local communities.
Such interventions are designed in consultation with the local populations and authorities so as to integrate these projects into the latter’s development plans, and are implemented in coordination with other humanitarian and development actors. A2PS projects are therefore a responsible way for UNHCR to support public service providers while contributing to the peaceful coexistence of various communities.
In 2022, for example, Kawergosk town in Erbil governorate in the Kurdistan Region saw the inauguration of a Public Primary Health Care Centre, managed by the Erbil Directorate of Health, that provides primary health care services to all communities in Kawergosk: 8,000 Syrian refugees, 1,800 IDPs and 15,000 Iraqi locals.
UNHCR also constructed a public high school in Kawergosk that will benefit 300 Syrian refugees and 300 local students, in addition to a community centre that will promote improved community social interactions and entertainment opportunities for youths and women in particular. Other A2PS initiatives country-wide include rehabilitating health centres,improving electrical and water infrastructure, and providing equipment for vocational training centres.
A2PS projects ultimately support efforts towards gradually transforming Syrian refugee camps into neighbourhoods, administered and serviced by local municipalities.
Solutions to camps
More than six years after the conclusion of large-scale military operations against Da’esh, almost 1.1 million Iraqis continue to live in protracted situations of internal displacement. While most live in private accommodation in urban settings, almost 160,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) reside in 23 camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I).
UNHCR is working with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and where relevant, the Government of Iraq (GoI), to identify and implement dignified solutions for IDPs who are still residing in camps. As per the IASC Framework for Durable Solutions for IDPs, recognised solutions are:
- Safe and voluntary return to Areas of Origin (AoO),
- Relocation into other communities within the country, and
- Local inclusion including through the transformation of camps into formal settlements fully serviced by public institutions.
Refugee livelihoods and economic inclusion
Supporting refugee economic inclusion is aligned with the Global Compact on Refugees’ objectives of easing the pressure on Iraq and enhancing refugee self-reliance. Refugee economic inclusion is also integral to the overarching aim of leaving no one behind under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Refugees in Iraq represent approximately 1% of the total working-age population. Facilitating their access to decent work and economic opportunities allows them to achieve a dignified solution in exile while enabling them to contribute to the local economy. When refugees can effectively participate without discrimination in the local market, they contribute as employers, employees, and consumers.
UNHCR’s role in promoting refugee livelihoods and economic inclusion focuses on three main objectives: i) a conducive Iraqi legislative and regulatory environment to refugee economic inclusion; (ii) refugees access to local supporting services, poverty reduction efforts, and integration into local market systems; and (iii) refugees have enhanced individual and household capital, improved capacity to face shocks and stressors, and greater ability to participate and contribute to the local economy.
UNHCR implements its vision by advocating with and convening a range of stakeholders to build the foundation for refugees’ access to rights, services and markets on par with the rest of the population. UNHCR promotes refugees’ inclusion into the existing ecosystem, avoiding the creation of parallel systems solely for refugees. UNHCR plays a catalytical role, enabling relevant stakeholders to include refugees in their services and programmes, in line with the refugee inclusion agenda.
Resettlement and complementary pathways
In Iraq, resettlement remains a key protection tool for those who need urgent international protection, and who have no prospect for other solutions inside Iraq. This includes refugees of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, survivors of violence and torture, children, women and girls at serious protection risks, and those with medical conditions that cannot be addressed in Iraq.
Resettlement is also an essential form of international solidarity. It helps share the responsibility with the authorities in Iraq and reduces both the financial and capacity pressure on public services and the international support thereto.
In addition to resettlement, UNHCR supports refugees access complementary pathways through family reunification, humanitarian visas and private sponsorship. UNHCR does this by identifying refugee candidates for scholarship and labour opportunities abroad, advocating for their consideration and prioritization, assisting them with navigating restrictive documentation requirements, and advocating with third-country representations for flexibility with visa issuance.
UNHCR continues to advocate for the swift processing and departure of submitted resettlement cases, and the expansion of complementary pathway opportunities.
The Way Forward
To promote lasting solutions for internally displaced Iraqis, UNHCR’s approach to IDP assistance has evolved. The focus has shifted from delivering short-term, individual humanitarian aid towards a more comprehensive strategy that emphasizes integrating these individuals into Iraq’s existing governmental systems. This transition aims to ensure more sustainable support and a better quality of life for IDPs.
UNHCR does this by facilitating their access to civil documentation, advocating for their inclusion in Iraq’s Social Safety Net, strengthening the capacity of public protection service providers, and finding and implementing dignified and durable solutions for the 160,000 IDPs living in the 23 IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This includes (advocating with the government for) upgrading public services within the camps and their surrounding host communities, enhancing the quality of life and fostering a more inclusive environment for IDPs.
Meanwhile, given refugees’ high level of inclusion, UNHCR’s refugee interventions focus on furthering their integration into public services and policies such as healthcare and education. UNHCR also promotes their economic self-reliance while providing individual assistance to the most vulnerable. Regarding stateless individuals, UNHCR is scaling up efforts to eradicate Statelessness in Iraq by the 2024, in line with UNHCR’s Global Action Plan, and the #IBelong Campaign to end Statelessness by 2024.