CPTnet
20 August 2005

IRAQ: Where do the refugees seek refuge?

by Jan Benvie

At an estimated 6.5 million, Palestinians are the largest single refugee
group in the world. Here in Iraq another tragic chapter is being added to
their turbulent history.

Life as a refugee began for many in 1948 when the state of Israel was
created in much of what was then British-mandated Palestine. When Israel
occupied the remaining areas of Palestine in 1967, it created a further wave
of refugees.

As refugees, the Palestinians are vulnerable to political upheavals in the
countries where they reside. Jordan expelled many during the civil turmoil
in 1970. Palestinians suffered special hardship during the Lebanese civil
war including the 1982 massacre at the Sabra-Shatilla camp. Following the
1991 Gulf War, and Arafat's disastrous support for Saddam Hussein, many had
to leave Kuwait and other Gulf States.

Now, in Iraq, they find themselves victims once again. Those who came to
Iraq in 1948 did not register with UNRWA (United National Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). In 2003 the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) began to register the Palestinians so
that they could begin receiving UN assistance. However, following the
bombing of the UN headquarters and withdrawal of most of their staff later
that year, this work stopped.

The Palestinians have residency rights, but even those born in Iraq do not
have citizenship. They cannot obtain a passport. Prevented from owing
property, they were provided with government homes or rented accommodations
subsidized by the Iraqi government. In the last decade, war and sanctions
resulted in a simmering resentment towards the Palestinians. Saddam
Hussein's cynical use of the Palestinian cause to bolster his popularity in
the Arab world by sending money to Palestinians in the occupied territories,
at a time of economic hardship in Iraq, increased resentment.

With the fall of Saddam Hussein after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, that
resentment boiled over. Landlords evicted hundreds of Palestinian families
and many found themselves in tents within the Baladiyyat Refugee Camp in
Baghdad. We spoke with some families there. They told us they are afraid to
leave the camp because of frequent verbal and physical attacks. Previously
they had to extend their residency every six months; now they must renew
their residency, in person, once a month. One family, whose three sons were
arrested recently, is afraid to enquire about them at Iraqi Ministries as
they believe they too may be arrested. They also told us of frequent raids
on the camp by the Iraqi Special Forces.

In difficult times, people often place the blame for their situation on
"foreigners." For an angry, beleaguered Iraqi population, the Palestinians
are an easy target.

For the Iraqi government, the arrest of Palestinians proves it is making
progress in its fight against what it claims is a foreign insurgency.

For the Palestinians in Iraq the future is bleak. Where do the refugees seek
refuge?