Links
Iraqi refugees in Syria not going back
Most Iraqi refugees living in Syria are reluctant to permanently return to their home country, a United Nations survey found.
In the survey carried out by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, nearly half of the refugees cited political uncertainty as a reason for not wanting to return while others blamed unstable security conditions, poor educational opportunities and housing shortages, a U.N. release said Friday.
Nearly 500 families, more than 2,000 people, took part in the poll carried out at al-Waleed border crossing between Syria and Iraq in July and August.
The majority of Iraqis crossing into their country said it was for a short trip only to visit family members, check local conditions, obtain documentation or check on property.
A similar survey on the Iraq-Jordan border among more than 350 families found none were returning to Iraq permanently, citing similar reasons.
Syria is home to the largest number of Iraqi refugees in the region, with the UNHCR office in the country having registered more than 290,000 Iraqis since the start of the war in their country.