Iraqi refugees in Iran

Iran sheltered hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees during Saddam Hussein’s rule. So far, the language barrier (most Iraqis speak Arabic, not Farsi, the main language of Iran) has kept Iran from being inundated with refugees from the current conflict. But Iraqis and the United Nations are clamoring for the gates to open.

3 waves of refugees

Iran sheltered hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees during Saddam Hussein's rule. So far, the language barrier (most Iraqis speak Arabic, not Farsi, the main language of Iran) has kept Iran from being inundated with refugees from the current conflict. But Iraqis and the United Nations are clamoring for the gates to open.

1980: On the eve of his invasion of Iran, Hussein kicks out about 200,000 people, families of Iranian background, some of whom had lived in Iraq for generations.

1991: After a Shi'ite uprising in southern Iraq, more than 200,000 Iraqi Shi'ites fled or were exiled to Iran. Iran sheltered many Iraqi opposition leaders who now hold top posts in the government.

2003: When Hussein fell, about 200,000 Iraqis were still in Iran; the rest had left for other countries. About 150,000 returned to Iraq.

2004-present: Now, an estimated 10,000 to 50,000 of those who returned to Iraq have changed their minds and come back to Iran. Some still hold their original refugee status; others do not. Up to 3,000 other Iraqis have moved to Iran to seek asylum, 1,000 have formally applied for UN refugee status. Also, about 750,000 Iraqis have come on three-month visits; an unknown number have attempted to stay illegally; others make the dangerous trip back to Iraq every three months to renew their visas.

Murky status

Iran does not recognize the new Iraqi arrivals as refugees, but the UN High Commission on Refugees considers any Iraqi not from the relatively safe Kurdish north to be prima facie refugees -- meaning it assumes they are legitimately fleeing danger.

UNHCR asked Iran last week to accept Iraqi refugees; a Tehran-based Iraqi group that aids refugees wants the government to grant temporary one-year residency permits. So far Iran has not budged, fearing that a million or more Iraqis could flood the country.

SOURCES: UNHCR, Iraqi Refugee Aid Council.