At the beginning of the war, (and in some cases even before), Iraqis fled to bordering countries such as Jordan and Syria in hopes of saving themselves from the violence occurring in their country. However, as American troops are helping to improve the security situation in the nation, these refugees are feeling more comfortable with the thought of returning home.
Approximately 1,000 refugees a day are returning to their homeland. Most of these refugees won’t even have to pay bus fare, as the Iraqi government is providing it for free in hopes of bringing more refugees back home. Another incentive includes giving displaced Iraqis $800 if they can make the move back to their native country.
Syria is particularly welcoming of these developments, since the country’s population rose 10% due to the presence of Iraqi refugees. While this in itself is not bad, the problems associated with massive immigration are. That is why during the time the refugees starting pouring in, Syria imposed stricter requirements for visa approval.
For American troops the influx of return refugees should be encouraging. However, they should not become lax in their duties toward protecting the country. In fact, the troops may have even more to prove to the refugees, since many of them believe the current trends towards a more peaceful environment aren’t likely to continue. Yet, as the troops pave the way for Iraq’s democratic freedom, the greater the likelihood that skeptical refugees will feel confident that they can live completely peaceful lives in the country of their birth.
