The return, following a directive from Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, is “voluntary,” according to the ministry.
The families are returning to their homes east of Mosul.
Of the 266 families, 159 reside outside camps and 107 families currently live inside camps located around 30 kilometers east of Mosul near the Erbil-Mosul road.
Since their opening, residents of Hassan Sham and Khazir camps have endured severe weather conditions, the spread of coronavirus, and limited access to essential services, including electricity, cooling systems, and clean water.
The Iraqi government wants to close all the camps across the country and see all displaced families return to their homes. In January, Baghdad set July 30 as the date for the Kurdistan Region to close IDP camps and aid provision to cease, though that deadline has been indefinitely extended. An Erbil-Baghdad joint committee was formed to discuss their closure. The KRG has said it would not force people to return home.
Around 26,500 families (157,000 individuals) remain in the Kurdistan Region’s IDP camps, according to official figures.
Baghdad offered four million dinars (about $3,050) to families who returned home by the deadline. Despite the financial incentive, many families were reluctant to leave due to ongoing violence in their places of origin, lack of reconstruction, and insufficient basic services. Some who voluntarily left the camps have been forced to return, unable to secure the basics.
Human rights advocates have expressed concern about Iraq’s push to close the camps, insisting that all returns must be voluntary, safe, and dignified.
