Palestinians in Iraq are a group of Palestinians who have been living in Iraq since they were displaced during the Nakba in 1948. Before 2003, there were approximately 34,000 Palestinians thought to be living in Iraq, mainly concentrated in Baghdad. However, since the 2003 Iraq War, the population has decreased to between 10,000–13,000, although the precise population is difficult to determine.Sassoon, Joseph. The Iraqi Refugees: The New Crisis in the Middle East, Paperback Edition. I.B. Tauris, 2011., p. 75 The situation of Palestinians in Iraq deteriorated after the fall of Saddam Hussein and particularly following the bombing of the Al-Askari Mosque in 2006.
During the occupation of Iraq, Palestinians who lived in the country became the targets of violence, killings and scapegoating by Shia militia groups. With the rise in insecurity throughout Iraq, they have been the target of expulsion, persecution and violence with the new Iraqi Government with militant groups targeting them for preferential treatment they received under the Ba'ath Party rule. Currently, several hundred Palestinians from Iraq are living in border camps, after being refused entry to neighbouring Jordan and Syria. Others have been resettled to third countries.
History The 1922 census of Palestine lists 18 Palestinians as living abroad in Iraq (then listed as Mesopotamia): 3 Muslims, 14 Jews, and 1 Christian.
The birth of the Palestinian community in modern Iraq dates back to 1948, when the Iraqi army, which had been fighting in Palestine, returned to Baghdad with a group of Palestinians who had been forced to flee their homes in Haifa and Jaffa. In addition, some Palestinian villagers had been forcibly drafted by the invading Iraqi army, and they and their families were allowed to resettle in Iraq. Following the 1967 war with Israel, a second larger wave of Palestinians sought refuge in Iraq. The third and final wave occurred in 1991 after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, when those Palestinians living in Kuwait fled. Over the years, there were also many Palestinians who came to Iraq in search of work. Prior to 2003, there were approximately 25,000 registered Palestinian refugees living in Iraq.Younes, Kristele. , Refugees International, 27 June 2007, accessed on 21 February 2011. In December 2010, approximately 10,000 Palestinians remained in Iraq, the majority of whom were living in and around Baghdad.
Under Saddam Hussein
Iraq is not a signatory of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the protection of refugees. Palestinians were never awarded official status by the Iraqi authorities, but were given a degree of protection and assistance by the Iraqi government, guided by the Casablanca Protocol of the League of Arab States in 1965. During Saddam Hussein's rule, Palestinians received by and large equitable treatment. They were granted residency permits, full access to government services including healthcare and education, and were also permitted to work. The government also issued special travel documents for Palestinian refugees, allowing them to travel freely around Iraq but making it extremely difficult to leave the country. Some political and sectarian entities claim that Palestinians were treated favourably under the Ba'thist regime. The government built special housing complexes, and provided heavily subsidized accommodation for Palestinians. Palestinians were also exempt from military service, and scholarships were also awarded to Palestinian students, enabling them to study at certain universities. During the years of economic sanctions in the 1990s, the Iraqi government froze rent prices, forcing Iraqi landlords to rent their apartments to Palestinians for as little as $1 per month. This was also a cause of resentment among those Iraqis toward Palestinians.
During the UN Sanctions on Iraq The Palestinians suffered very much as a result of the UN sanctions on Iraq (1990–2003). Saddam Hussein's Revolution Command Council decided that Palestinians must not be allowed to invest in companies and not be allowed to invest in any kind of entrepreneurial businesses; They had to obtain special permissions to marry Iraqis, and Palestinians who had Iraqi mothers could not inherit their mothers. Palestinians were not allowed to live in areas close to international boundaries and were not allowed to work in security sensitive areas. The Palestinians were also trapped inside Iraq because of the UN sanctions did not allow air travel to and from Iraq and because Iraq's neighbours did not allow the Palestinians to enter their countries. Palestinians were also only allowed to join the regime-backed Ba'ath Party and were not allowed to join the traditional Palestinian political organisations.
Persecution in post–war Iraq After the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003, Palestinians in Iraq became the target of attacks, persecution, eviction, expulsion, harassment, rape, and killings by Shia militants, and the new Iraqi Government with militant groups particularly targeting them for their support for Saddam Hussein and that they were treated better than Shias under Saddam's Rule. Palestinian neighborhoods such as al-Doura, al-Hurriyya and al-Baladiyyat in Baghdad were also bombarded and attacked. A report by the UNHCR in 2007 provided details of the violence and persecution perpetrated against Palestinians in Iraq, which included abductions, attacks, torture by both unknown militia groups and the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior and the deaths of many Palestinian women, men and children.http://www.unhcr.no/Pdf/Position_countryinfo_2007/Iraq%20guidelines.pdf
Governmental policies Under the newly elected Iraqi government, Palestinians were stripped of their residency permits and made to register at the Ministry of the Interior each month. This proved extremely dangerous, and the fear of being shot upon entering or leaving the ministry has deterred many Palestinians from obtaining their right to residency in Iraq. In addition, Human Rights Watch reported that Ministry of Interior officials have arbitrarily arrested, beaten, tortured, and in a few cases, forcibly disappeared Palestinian refugees.
Bombing of the Al-Askari Mosque After the bombing of the Shia Muslim Al-Askari Mosque in the city of Samarra, the circumstances of those Palestinians living in Iraq worsened considerably as they became scapegoats, synonymous with "terrorists" and "insurgents". Human Rights Watch reported that in mid-March, an unknown militia group calling itself the "Judgment Day Brigades" distributed leaflets in Palestinian neighborhoods, accusing the Palestinians of collaborating with the insurgents and stating the following: "We warn that we will eliminate you all if you do not leave this area for good within ten days." Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa in April 2006, forbidding any attacks on Palestinians. However, the mass killings and death threats put the Palestinian community in a "state of shock" and forced thousands to leave the country, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Palestinians fleeing Iraq
After 2003, the majority of Palestinians were either killed or fled to the neighbouring countries of Syria and Jordan – neither of which is a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention, although each country adheres to the 1965 Casablanca Protocol without reservation. Despite the admirable generosity and hospitality of Syria and Jordan towards thousands of Iraqis, and their large and well-integrated populations of Palestinians, both countries have closed their borders to Palestinians coming from Iraq. As a result, many have been left stranded in squalid conditions within border camps such as Al-Waleed or Al-Karama, both of which are situated in ‘No Man's Land’ near to the borders shared with Syria and Jordan. Others have had no choice but to return to cities of Baghdad and Mosul. In 2007, UNHCR published ‘Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Iraqi Asylum-Seekers’, which stated that many Arab refugees (including Palestinians) “...do not hold valid documentation, limiting their freedom of movement, access to services and putting them at risk of detention and possibly refoulement. As such, in adjudicating the refugee claims of individuals who were previously refugees in Iraq, the current situation in Iraq is such that “effective protection” in the country is generally unavailable.”‘Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Iraqi Asylum-Seekers’, UNHCR (Geneva 2007)
Jordan
Jordan has the largest number of refugees relative to total population in the world, and is host to the highest number of Palestinian refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The 1952 Jordanian Constitution does forbid the extradition of ‘political refugees...on account of their political beliefs or their defence of liberty'.Sassoon, Joseph. The Iraqi Refugees: The New Crisis in the Middle East, Paperback Edition. I.B. Tauris, 2011., p. 33 Furthermore, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNHCR in 1998, underlining its agreement to the definition of a refugee and the obligation of non-refoulement."UNHCR 2011 Global Appeal for Jordan" UNHCR, December 2010, accessed on 4 March 2011 Historically, the Jordanian government has granted full citizenship to the vast majority of Palestinian refugees, while UNRWA administers aid and provides health and education services to those living in refugee camps.Sassoon, Joseph. The Iraqi Refugees: The New Crisis in the Middle East, Paperback Edition. I.B. Tauris, 2011., p. 34 Its policies towards Iraqis have been less clear. Currently, the government estimates that 450,000 – 500,000 Iraqis live in Jordan, although only 31,000 of these Iraqis are registered with UNHCR. The regime has followed the principles of Arab hospitality and brotherhood by opening its doors to thousands of Iraqis; yet its policies towards them with regard to provision of basic services have been less clear. Moreover, it has preferred to use ‘visitor’ or ‘guest’ when referring to Iraqis, avoiding the socially and politically loaded term ‘refugee’ and the subsequent need to establish more permanent arrangements, services and solutions that would strain Jordanian infrastructure.Sassoon, Joseph. 1he Iraqi Refugees: The New Crisis in the Middle East, Paperback Edition. I.B. Tauris, 2011., p. 52 The situation for Palestinians from Iraq fleeing to Jordan after 2003 following the invasion of Iraq is yet more difficult. Aside from a few with family connections inside Jordan, the majority of Palestinians were refused entry or free movement inside the country. Thus, many were stranded in No Man's Land between Iraq and Jordan, or detained in Al-Raweished Camp within Jordan."Non-Iraqi refugees in Jordan" UNHCR, 20 February 2007, accessed on 3 March 2011
Al Ruweished Camp
Al Ruweished was located in Eastern Jordan, 60 kilometres from the border with Iraq. Over the years, those living in the camp have included Palestinians from Iraq, Iranian Kurds, Somalis and Sudanese. In December 2003, Angelina Jolie visited the camp by helicopter, and kept a journal of her experiences. She reported that most of the 500 residents of al-Ruweished were Palestinians, and over 100 of them were under the age of 16."Angelina Jolie's Jordan Journal UNHCR, 10 December 2003, accessed on 6 March 2011 Living conditions in the camp were extremely difficult, with soaring temperatures during the summer months, and storms during the harsh winters. The UNHCR and local NGOs provided food and assistance to camp residents. However, most children were unable to access education."Palestinians Stranded on Iraq Border" , Al Awda, accessed 7 March 2011