2026-06-20T17:45:23+00:00
Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah
806,593 Iraqis applied for asylum in European countries between 2015 and 2026, a refugee affairs official said on Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference marking World Refugee Day and the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Behrouz Barzan, Projects Director at al-Sulaymaniyah-based Summit Foundation for Refugees and Displaced Affairs, said wars, violence, poverty, climate change, and political instability continue to drive displacement worldwide, including in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
According to data, applications peaked at 186,422 in 2015 and 160,717 in 2016 before declining to 31,455 in 2025 and 11,740 in 2026. 358 Iraqis died during irregular migration attempts, while 251 others remain missing. “The figures represent human tragedies affecting hundreds of families rather than mere statistics.”
Since 2017, the Summit Foundation has provided humanitarian assistance, food aid, healthcare services, and medical treatment to displaced people, refugees, and vulnerable families, Barzan added. It has also helped return more than 300 migrants to their families, followed up on cases involving hundreds of missing persons, and assisted individuals facing risks during migration journeys.
During the conference, he announced the launch of the “Find a Job” project, a platform designed to connect job seekers with employers and provide employment, training, and professional development opportunities across the Kurdistan Region. He called on the Kurdistan Regional Government, the ministries of labor and higher education, international organizations, investors, and the private sector to support the initiative.
Source: Shafaq News
