03-11-2009
By Ako Muhammad Shwani
Kirkuk- As part of a government order to re-claim all government properties that were occupied by political parties and families after the fall of the Saddam regime in 2003, hundreds of families are finding themselves homeless in their hometowns.
Around 4,000 families of Kurdish returnees in Kirkuk, who have taken shelters in once government buildings, are been ordered to live the buildings they live in by orders from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
A member of the High Commission of Refugees said called on the government to compensate the families in order to help them find new homes. The families are part of the Kurdish residents who had been expelled by the former Baath regime under the Arabaization policy to change the demographic of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. After the fall of the regime in 2003 thousands of Kirkuki families returned to their city, but many of them found that their homes had been taken by families that had been brought from southern parts of Iraq by the Saddam regime. Thousands of families occupied government buildings and military compounds to live in waiting for the government to redress their property claims.
Aso Hassan spent years in different refugee camps when his family was expelled by the Saddam regime. After the fall of the regime, he returned to Kirkuk and called a public building his home with the hope of one day getting his house back. But after six year of waiting, not only he has not gotten his house back, but he was expelled from the government-owned building.
After years of discriminations, Hassan sees the government decision as yet another policy to suppress Kurds, “We were driven out because we were Kurds, and now thousands of troubles have been created for us only because we are Kurds,” Hassan said.
Ismael Rashid, member of the High Commission for Refugees said “most of the families are not ready to leave the buildings if they are not being compensated,” in order to find another place to live in (Photo: Rudaw).
© Rudaw
