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Office of Refugee & IDP Affairs
 
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OFFICE OF REFUGEE
and
IDP AFFAIRS

 Population, Refugees and Migration – Internally Displaced Persons
ANNEX 1 – 3RD FLOOR
[ RIDPA-Baghdad@state.gov]

The Office of Refugee & Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Affairs at the U.S. Embassy Baghdad coordinates the U.S. Government's policy, assistance and resettlement programs for Iraqi displaced persons, conflict victims and third country refugees within Iraq.

POLICY AND ASSISTANCE

The Embassy works directly with the Government of Iraq and international donor agencies to respond to the humanitarian needs of Iraqi refugees and IDPs. U.S. Government programs and international organizations and non-governmental organizations funded by the U.S. government support several hundred thousand IDPs inside Iraq and other at-risk beneficiaries through activities such as provision of emergency relief supplies, water systems, emergency health and infrastructure rehabilitation for host communities. The U.S. Government has provided almost $1 billion in humanitarian assistance for displaced Iraqis in Iraq and neighboring states since 2003.

REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is a humanitarian effort that reflects America’s compassion for some of the world’s most vulnerable persons.  During its 33-year history, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has responded to changing refugee circumstances. On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Defense Authorization Act, which created a new access category under the Refugee Program to certain Iraqis with ties to the U.S. and directed that processing for Iraqis who qualify as refugees are made available from within Iraq.  Processing of such cases is currently underway in Baghdad, but is subject to security and logistical constraints and we encourage those who feel they are particularly vulnerable to process their cases outside of Iraq.  Please  contact IOM for information about this program or follow these links:

If it does not appear based on the above documents that the Iraqis in question qualify for access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in Iraq, they may contact the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a neighboring country to apply for refugee status.     

Information Library:  Resources


     
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA (SIV) PROGRAM 


The FY 2008 Defense Authorization Act, signed into law in January 2008, created 5,000 Special Immigrant Visas each year for the next five years for Iraqis who are U.S. government employees or contractors (not those, however, who are/were employed by a grant or cooperative agreement with the United States government) for at least one year, who provided faithful and valuable service to the US government during their employment and who experienced or is experiencing an ongoing serious threat as a result of their employment by the US government.  The program also provides the applicants and their families with resettlement benefits should they choose to receive them.  Iraqis who pursue this program are admitted to the United States through the issuance of an immigrant visa and are considered Legal Permanent Residents upon admittance.  The SIV program is administered by the Bureau of Consular Affairs and individuals interested in this program must consult the Consular Affairs website and application guidelines before making an application:

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