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Basra shuts doors on fleeing Iraqis | Azzaman in English

The Province of Basra has made it clear that it has no capacity to accommodate the increasing numbers of Iraqis seeking refuge there, Basra’s deputy governor said.

Luay al-Battat said the province’s public services were “very strained” and there were not enough resources to cater for the influx of refugees.

The number of Iraqis fleeing their homes to safer areas has soared despite reports that levels of violence have receded recently.

U.S. and Iraqi government claims of relative improvement in security have not halted the massive movement of people in the country with Shiites fleeing to predominantly Shiite areas and Sunnis fleeing to predominantly Sunni areas.

Minorities like Christians, Sabeans and Yazidis have almost nowhere to go.

Escalating sectarian violence and ongoing U.S. military operations are driving Iraqis from their homes. At least two million Iraqis have fled to neighboring Syria and Jordan.

But with these countries imposing tough visa restrictions, fearful Iraqis are moving from one province to another in search of safety.

Basra is one of several provinces with measures not to accept any more fleeing Iraqis.

Most of those heading to Basra are Shiites driven from mainly Sunni-inhabited areas.

The migration inside the country is a drain on the country’s meager resources.

Many cannot afford fleeing across the border and seek refuge anywhere in the country. These internally displaced Iraqis, estimated at about two million people, live in squalor conditions with little food and sometimes without shelter.

Battat said the influx of internal refugees to Basra and their worsening conditions have become one of the main factors for the lack of security in the province.

He gave no figures about these internally displaced Iraqis, saying it was hard to count since they are on constant move.

“This unorganized migration is leading to higher crime rates, aggravating the security situation and exerting immense pressure on the already rickety public service infrastructure,” he said.

Basra shuts doors on fleeing Iraqis - Azzaman in English