Navigating the Effects of Displacement: Iraq

Following the release of the first edition of PROGRESS 2023 report, the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) carried out focus group discussions to understand the nuances of the effects of displacement from the perspectives of individuals who were displaced, had returned or were part of communities which hosted IDPs. The focus group discussions served as a forum to share viewpoints that are not often captured by traditional data collection exercises, including affected communities' perceptions of cultural and gendered effects of displacement in their communities. The discussions were conducted in local languages and translated by IOM DTM staff.

The 2014 - 2017 conflict against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) displaced nearly 6 million Iraqis, with the Government of Iraq formally announcing the end of the conflict in December 2017. As of April 2024, 4,871,916 individuals returned from displacement to their areas of origin. However, 1,098,913 people still remain internally displaced more than six years after the end of the conflict. This report presents a deeper country-specific dive into the findings of the qualitative analysis of six focus group discussions conducted between 1 and 15 August 2023 in Kirkuk and Hawija districts (Kirkuk Governorate) and Makhmur district (Erbil Governorate) with 43 representatives of IDPs, host community and returnees from displacement linked to the 2014 - 2017 conflict. Just under half (47%) of the respondents were female. Nearly three quarters (72%) of respondents were between the age of 18 and 59, a further quarter (23%) were older than 60 years and 5 per cent were under the age of 17.