The Institute for International Law and Human Rights has developed a comprehensive report examining the de jure and de facto situation of Iraq’s minority components and other vulnerable populations to support the assessment of asylum claims within countries to which Iraqi refugees apply for protection and to complement other resources on Iraq’s vulnerable populations.

“Iraq’s Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups: Legal Framework, Documentation, and Human Rights” provides an overview of key human rights, documentation, and legal challenges common to many minority components in today’s Iraq — including minority women — and suggests targeted recommendations to the central government, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the international community. It then provides information on how Iraqi identity documents are processed and the requirements for issuance of documents including birth certificates, passports, and national identity cards, drawing from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry’s Consular Handbook and other sources. The book then offers an analysis of Iraq’s legal framework as it relates to citizenship, personal status, criminalized behavior, voluntary return to Iraq, and issues specific to particular components.

Finally, the report provides detailed information on the situation of 16 Iraqi components and vulnerable groups, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons. Details on ethno-religious minorities and other populations include historical background, approximate demographics, security situation, human rights challenges, humanitarian situation, diaspora and returnees, and the situation of women and children.