Emigrating from Iraq in the period 1991-2007: social networks as alternatives for international protection

Géraldine Chatelard (1)

1 IFPO - Institut Français du Proche-Orient

The context of Iraqi exile migration that has followed the fall of the Baathist regime can be conceptualised as a continuation and amplification of previous trends characterised by more insecurity in Iraq, the growing number of exiles who compete for asylum, and less international protection. This conference paper puts current Iraqi migration in perspective, looking back at the period 1991-2003, to argue that a social organisation specific to Iraqi migration has emerged in response to migration and asylum structures in reception countries. The policy context of reception regionally and in industrialised countries is considered, and migrants' strategies to ensure their security are examined to conclude on the resulting social fragmentation of Iraqi exile migration.

Mots clés: migration policies; social networks; Iraq; migration; refugees

Domaines: Sociologie

Géraldine Chatelard. Emigrating from Iraq in the period 1991-2007: social networks as alternatives for international protection. 2007. ⟨hal-00338438⟩