Iraqi Migrants Return From Europe as Asylum Claims Denied

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Growing numbers of Iraqi migrants are returning from European countries to Iraq, many after years of residence abroad, according to a report by Deutsche Welle citing International Organization for Migration data. The IOM figures show that several hundred people return from Britain to Iraq annually. In Germany, where Interior Ministry data recorded 121,662 Iraqi arrivals in 2015, an estimated 480,000 to 500,000 Iraqis currently reside. A significant portion of those who returned came after their asylum applications were rejected. According to the Voluntary Return Program, 23.8 percent of Iraqis who returned from Germany between 2017 and 2018 had done so voluntarily. Roughly 70 percent of all returnees during that period had seen their asylum requests denied. Some who came back reported encountering high living costs and difficulty finding employment. One Iraqi who spent 20 years in Germany said living expenses in Iraq far exceeded expectations, and his wife's business venture failed after their return. A family who settled in Karbala said they managed to adapt, providing remote education to their children.