The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement (MoMD) announced on Tuesday the return of dozens of people to their areas of origin in Kirkuk province, years after they were forced to flee from the Islamic State.
The internally displaced persons (IDPs) are originally from the southwestern part of Kirkuk and had settled in displacement camps in the eastern part of the same province.
According to a ministry statement, 91 IDPs who lived in the camps of Leylan I and Leylan II have returned to their original residences.
Kirkuk is among the areas disputed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal Iraqi government.
Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State two years ago, but many who were displaced by the terrorist organisation’s onslaught remain in various camps throughout different parts of the country, with a significant portion of them located in the Kurdistan Region.
The statement quoted the director of the displacement ministry’s Kirkuk office, Ammar Sabah, who said that the displaced people wanted to return to their homes and that they were taken there by government buses.
The Iraqi government has repeatedly stated that its various return and repatriation schemes are voluntary, with the displaced people willing to go back to their homes.
In August, however, human rights watchdog Amnesty International alleged that Baghdad was forcefully returning IDPs to their areas of origin, most of which have little in terms of essential services and security. It sternly called on authorities to end the practice.
General security may be on a further decline as the Islamic State continues to wage an insurgency in areas it once controlled, with recent attacks seeing a marked uptick.
The MoMD said in its statement that a batch of 31 people among the returnees were from Leylan I Camp, while 44 were from Leylan II. The remaining 16 had been staying at Yahyawa Camp.
Sabah added that these IDPs have returned to their homes in Hawija, al-Rashad, al-Riyadh and Zab, in addition to the areas of the outskirts of Daquq.
SOURCE: Kurdistan24
