UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, works to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees and asylum-seekers all over the world. UNHCR’s purpose is to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge from war and persecution. UNHCR also protects stateless people. In all its activities, UNHCR pays attention to the needs of children and seeks to promote the equal rights of women and girls.
UNHCR has seven offices across Iraq, located in: Baghdad, Basra, Dohuk, Erbil, Kirkuk, Mosul, and Sulaymaniyah.
You can contact UNHCR in Iraq for:
- Information on how to apply for asylum in Iraq and your rights and duties as a refugee or asylum-seeker
- Registration of your asylum application at a UNHCR Office in Iraq and receipt of an asylum-seeker certificate
- Support for access to civil documentation in Iraq, school enrolment, medical care, and related services
- Access to legal counsel and protection, and support for specific cases of harm or abuse
- Access to various forms of assistance
- Information and counselling if you wish to voluntarily return to your home country, and facilitation of your voluntary repatriation when security conditions allow
- Reporting instances of fraud, exploitation, and abuse
- Information and counselling on family reunification procedures for immediate family members through Peshkhabour BCP.
- Information and counselling on temporary visits requirements and procedures at Peshkhabour BCP.
- Information on official working days and hours for Derabon counselling centre, border crossing, and public holidays for both sides of the border.
Contact UNHCR for Help
To connect with a UNHCR Office in Iraq to ask any question you may have or to provide your feedback on services, or to share a general concern, please contact us confidentially and free of charge via:
Visit a Community Space
In Erbil: In coordination with UNHCR, reliable NGO partners (Terre de Hommes, Al-Mesalla) operate in Youth Community Centres across Erbil, located in Baherka, Daratu, Soran, Koya, Shawez, Qushtapa, Khasnazan, Basirma and Banislawa.
In Sulaymaniyah: you can approach the UNHCR partner protection centre, HAI to connect to any services in and outside the camp. You can also approach the Women Association in the community centre (in front of Amuda School) or ask for the Community Outreach Volunteers, who are located across different municipalities in Sulaymaniyah Governorate and will help you find the information you need.
Here, you can find information on available services and service providers and engage in community meetings, a variety of activities (e.g. traditional music, dance, drama, public speaking, writing etc.), as well as training in life skills (e.g. languages, computer, knitting, barber, salon, embroidery).
UNHCR partners will also periodically operate help-desks where you can also share your concerns.
In the Central & Southern Governorates: In coordination with UNHCR, trusted NGO partners (LCN, IRC, and InterSOS) operate eight Community Support Centres (CSC), located in Baghdad, Baquba, Basra, Kerbala, Ramadi, Ana (Anbar governorate), Kirkuk, Salah al-Din (Tikrit).
All humanitarian assistance is provided free of charge