A glut of stories have recenlty described how despite Bush Administration claims to the contrary, Iraq is still by no means safe for refugee return. Though Iraq’s minister of migration insists that exact numbers are difficult to track, it is clear that more Iraqis are heading to Syria than returning home. Reuters notes: “Better security not why most Iraqis go home”. The BBC ran a story with the blunt headline “We Can’t Return”. Ironically, for the minority who do want to return, Jordan – which has made it clear that it does not want these refugees – is imposing an expensive levy on those who have over-stayed their visas, preventing them from leaving. Returns home for internally displaced refugees are also on the wane.
To top things off, an historically drastic winter is making life near impossible for many refugees.