Iraqi Internal and External Migrations – Zoom Seminar

Massive population displacements, both internally and internationally, have been consubstantial to the lived experience of Iraqis, mainly due to the war, civic unrest and attacks. This is especially the case for Kurds whose social and political persecution have shaped the development of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) since the 1980’s. This region is therefore a very interesting case to capture the complexity migration trajectories and temporalities. The main urban center of KR-I such as Duhoq represent on the one hand an economic attraction for other rural areas in the KR-I mainly affected by unemployment and a decline in farming productivity. On the other hand, the KR-I is perceived as a safe-haven, for Kurdish fearing or fleeing persecution, particularly for IDPs originated from Mosul and Baghdad. Furthermore, the geographical positioning of the KR-Is make the region a strategic stepping stone for further regular or irregular international migration towards Europe. Our research focuses on the dynamics from the point of view of the decision-making processes to migrate (either internally or internationally) or to stay in Duhok and Zakho. We thus explore motivations, aspirations and the role “urban neighborhood” in the migration chain, both with a local and international perspective, especially in relation to Europe as destination (perception and attractiveness of Europe). Our case study specifically focuses on Duhok and Zakho, which are the largest cities in Duhok province which is considered the trade gate between Iraq and Turkey.