Context
Years of conflict have taken a devastating toll on Iraq: “schools, hospitals, roads and homes are still contaminated by unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices. Whole neighbourhoods, even entire cities, are uninhabitable. The fighting has now stopped, but there is an enormous task ahead.” While the current needs to reconstruct the country are enormous, various efforts will have to be deployed. The Ministry of Planning has issued a reconstruction document that should guide the international support towards specific objectives and priorities in the reconstruction. One way to support the reconstruction is to reach out to Iraqis abroad, as experts or investors, to support the development of the country.
Past Achievements
Iraq was a beneficiary country under the “Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals” programme that facilitated a total of 48 assignments in Iraq in the areas of education, health, engineering, and humanitarian assistance. According to the Dutch Central Office for Statistics, in 2016 there were 40.800 first-generation Iraqis and 15.400 second-generation Iraqis in the Netherlands.
Iraq was a beneficiary country under the initial CD4D project for one year. The initial phase of CD4D supported a total of 11 assignments in Iraq in the areas of education, health and infrastructure.
Chosen Sector
Migration Governance
Beneficiary institutions
- Ministry of Migration and Displacement
- Ministry of Interior
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of justice
- Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
- Central Statistical Office
- Ministry of Planning of Kurdistan regional Administration
- Ministry of Interior of Kurdistan regional Administration
- Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Kurdistan regional Administration
- Kurdistan Region Statistical Office
Partners
As the main organization for the Iraqi Diaspora in the Netherlands, IOM has selected Kurdistan in Business as a suitable partner for the implementation and outreach of this project, representing diaspora from the Kurdistan region of Iraq as well as the country as a whole, bridging Dutch expertise and knowledge to Iraq.