Iraq — Migrants in Vulnerable Situations Entering and Exiting Iraq (September 2020 – September 2021)

DTM Iraq collects data at border crossing points with neighbouring countries – the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) and Turkey – to better understand migration movements in the Middle East. Cross-border monitoring is designed to capture and describe migration flows, and is part of IOM DTM’s Regional Evidence for Migration Analysis and Policy (REMAP) project, funded by the European Union. The project aims to capture and describe migration flows in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) funded this piece of research. 

This report seeks to identify migrants in vulnerable situations entering and departing Iraq who may be susceptible to trafficking in persons and/or other forms of abuse, violence and exploitation along their migratory journey. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the profile of the vulnerable groups, the means of organizing travel, push-factors in the decision-making process, level of risk-awareness and problems encountered during the journey.

Data displayed in this report were collected using two approaches: a headcount of all travellers entering or departing Iraq though the specified border points where DTM have data collection teams stationed and a survey of randomly selected travellers. Data collection took place between 1 September 2020 and 30 September 2021 at five border crossing points: Ibrahim Al-Khalil, bordering Turkey, Fishkhabour, bordering Syria, and Bashmagh, Zurbatiyah (Wassit Terminal) and Al-Shalamcha, bordering Iran. During this period, a total of 14,598 interviews were conducted with randomly selected travellers entering and departing Iraq.