ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Confronted with a never-ending sense of danger at home, thousands of Kurds in western Iran’s Kurdish regions (Rojhelat) have over the years sought asylum in the Kurdistan Region in search of more peaceful living conditions, only to find themselves overwhelmed with a frustrating residence status and extremely limited job opportunities.
As she drew deeply on a cigarette while sitting down in an Erbil cafe, 31-year-old Sunya Ahmadi* told Rudaw English about her turbulent experience in the Kurdistan Region’s capital over the past year, after leaving behind her husband and 9-year-old daughter in Rojhelat over concerns of being arrested by Iranian security forces.
Sunya was an active participant in the September 2022 protests in Iran, which erupted following the death of young Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini while in the custody of Iranian security forces after she was arrested for wearing a lax hijab.
Her participation in the nationwide demonstrations had made her a target of the brutal crackdown by Iranian security forces.
“My husband and I were awoken one morning by the loud sound of knocking at our door. We saw there were four security officers and they were trying to break into the house. I immediately knew they were there to arrest me,” she said.
Distraught, Sunya and her husband would devise a plan to sneak her out of the house by going up on the rooftop, while their young daughter remained asleep in her bed, before making the difficult decision of leaving the country altogether.
“I decided that day to leave Rojhelat and smuggle myself through kolbar routes into the Kurdistan Region. It was the hardest decision I ever made, but my problems were only starting.”
With tears visible in her eyes, Sunya takes a look at a photo of her daughter on her phone, before continuing any further.
“Because I came here illegally, I had problems with obtaining residency and I needed a support letter from one of the parties in Rojhelat which required a lot of transportation which has become more difficult in the past year. Even traveling between Erbil and Sulaimani was very difficult for me because there were many checkpoints and I would need to wait at each one for hours.”
Being a single woman in a city that is still heavily driven by conservative social norms, Sunya’s request for a permit to rent an apartment in Erbil has been denied by the local security forces (Asayish), leaving her with no choice but to stay at a cheap hotel.
Due to the limited job opportunities for Rojhelat refugees, she currently works at one of Erbil’s restaurants to make ends meet, earning a daily wage of 15,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $10).
Despite the fear of being executed, I sometimes think about going back
Hawre Ahmadi is a political refugee from Rojhelat’s Sanandaj who has been residing in the Kurdistan Region for the past 11 years. Frustrated with his poor, and at times dangerous living conditions in the Region, he says that he sometimes considers going back to Iran, despite facing the impending threat of arrest and possibly death.
“The Kurdistan Region is a dangerous zone for Rojhelat political refugees. In addition to the threat on your life from Iran, staying here for years grants you no more rights other than an annual residency,” he told Rudaw English.
He too decries the complex legal residency situation and lack of job opportunities.
“Sometimes, even though I knew I would be executed once I go back, the problems I encountered here would make me consider taking on the hazardous route back to Iran,” he lamented.
Some of the Rojhelat political refugees have been able to overcome countless daunting obstacles and crawl their way toward Europe in search of a better life.
Akam Qaderi, 31, spent five years as a refugee in the Kurdistan Region, before making his way to Germany.
“I was working as a construction worker during the day and working at a restaurant at night. I was able to save up 7,000 dollars which was only enough to get me to Turkey,” said Qaderi.
In order to get from Turkey to his desired destination, Qaderi had to risk his life traveling through the treacherous waters, but says that the outcome made it all worth it.
“Despite all the hardships, I am now happy to have escaped the Kurdistan Region.”
The plight of Rojhelat political refugees in the Kurdistan Region is a suffering they have to keep to themselves and hide from the public due to concerns for their safety. The only people they can comfortably open up to are those who share the same fate. Longing for a picnic in the mountainous areas of Rojhelat, craving a walk down the streets they grew up in, and yearning for a loved one’s embrace back home only exacerbates the pain of the Rojhelat refugees.
There are currently over 8,000 Iranian refugees residing in the Kurdistan Region, according to data from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC).
*Names have been changed to protect identities
Translated by Chenar Chalak