KRG Condemns Unlawful Demographic Changes and Urges Voluntary Return of IDPs

In a clear violation of the Iraqi Constitution and fundamental citizens’ rights, the High Committee for Relief —operating under the supervision of Evan Faeq Jabro, Iraq’s Minister of Migration and Displacement — has initiated measures that alter the demographics of historically Christian and Yazidi areas. These measures are being implemented while the original inhabitants remain displaced and confined to camps.

Following the conflict with the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), a significant number of Christians and Yazidis were forced to flee their homes. In response, and through the efforts of the people of Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and international partners, 18 camps were established across the Kurdistan Region. These camps currently house over 600,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have not yet been able to return due to the lack of secure, stable, and dignified conditions.

Instead of supporting a voluntary and sustainable return, the Minister of Migration and the High Committee for Relief have convened meetings that aim to impose settlement plans without the consent of the displaced.

These measures effectively prevent the return of IDPs to their places of origin and forcibly integrate them into areas outside their ancestral lands.

Such actions constitute illegal demographic changes, are unconstitutional, and violate international standards — including the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, international humanitarian law, and the Geneva Conventions — all of which affirm the right to voluntary, safe, and dignified return, free from coercion or administrative imposition.

In response to these developments, the KRG calls for the following urgent actions:

1- The federal government must suspend the decisions issued by the Minister of Migration and Displacement and halt their implementation.

2- The UN Special Representative for Iraq, along with relevant international organisations, must coordinate with the federal government to ensure these measures are withdrawn.

3- The Sinjar Agreement must be implemented without delay. This includes appointing a new mayor, initiating reconstruction, restoring essential services, and normalising conditions in the area.

The KRG emphasises that the return of displaced persons must be voluntary, dignified, and legally protected. Their security, property rights, and access to public services must be guaranteed. Efforts that ignore root causes or impose unilateral solutions will fail to achieve durable peace or justice.

The recent decisions taken by the federal authorities represent a denial of the current reality and a failure to uphold their legal and humanitarian obligations.

Ministry of Interior
Kurdistan Regional Government
21 August 2025