Federal Migration Minister: All IDP Camps in Sulaymaniyah are Closed

Kurdistan 11:59 AM - 2024-07-11

Iraqi Migration Minister speaks during a news conference

On Thursday, the last group of IDPs from Sulaymaniyah province returned to their homes in the presence of the Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displaced. The province's camps, which housed IDPs from cities in central and southern Iraq, were all shut down. 
 
During a press conference, Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displaced Ivan Faiq Jabro said, "I am delighted to have participated in the closure of all camps in Sulaymaniyah province today." The Council of Ministers made this decision, which was made possible by the combined efforts of our ministry, the Joint Crisis Coordination Centre (JCC), and Iraqi parliamentarians serving on the Migration and Refugees Committee to facilitate the return of all IDPs to their provinces."

 

"The KRG Should Provide Us With Greater Assistance"

She further said: "We urge the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to assist us in returning the IDPs from Erbil and Duhok to their homes by the specified date of July 30, 2024. There remains a significant number of IDPs residing in the camps located within the two provinces."
 
"Recently, the KRG has shown increased cooperation in facilitating the return of the IDPs. We hope for further efforts to return the IDPs from Erbil and Duhok. Both governments should enhance their coordination efforts to facilitate the return of all IDPs," she added, "IDPs in the Kurdistan Region have the option to live a normal life outside the camps in the Region, and we will not impede their choice." 

 

22,000 Displaced Families Remain in Kurdistan Region

 

According to her statement, about 1,800 out of 2,500 displaced families in Sulaymaniyah have relocated back to their provinces, while the remaining families reside outside the camps. She also said that 22,000 displaced families are still living in the Kurdistan Region.

"Our current efforts are focused on determining whether these families want to return to their original homes or stay in the Region. We are currently working to evacuate the refugee camps in Erbil and Duhok so that this situation can be resolved," she said.

 

Migration Minister Thanks Sulaymaniyah

The Iraqi Minister of Migration expressed gratitude to the Sulaymaniyah Province for its hospitality towards IDPs and its long-standing commitment to providing them with assistance.

Shaho Osman, the Deputy Governor of Sulaymaniyah, informed PUKMEDIA that the Iraqi Migration Minister visited Sulaymaniyah with the purpose of closing the camps in Sulaymaniyah province that housed Arab IDPs. The minister expressed gratitude to the city administration and its residents for their dedicated assistance to the IDPs in the past.

He also said: "Today, the IDP camps in Sulaymaniyah have come to closure, and the province administration has reiterated its commitment to being a hospitable host and providing assistance to our guests since Sulaymaniyah has always been an example in this regard."

 

 

PUKMEDIA