Conflict, the Environment of Human Insecurity and Migration in Iraq in the Aftermath of 2003

This study revisits Iraqi international migration since the 2003 Iraq War from the perspective of human insecurity, distancing itself from the ‘securitisation of migration’ discourse. International migration from Iraq is a significant case to study because of the central role that the country’s different conflicts have played in changing international migration regimes and geographies. Studying the Iraqi exodus can help policymakers in the fields of international migration, security and political science to have a better understanding of migration and conflict patterns. The reader should bear in mind that Iraq is not a unique case; it is comparable, in varying degrees, to other conflicts and migration movements in other parts of the world. Based on secondary data available from international organisations, this paper will discuss Iraqi international migration with reference to the environment of human insecurity concept formulated in a conflict perspective. I will first present a conceptual framework which seems to be appropriate in explaining international migration flows in conflict zones, and then, I will discuss current Iraqi migration trends along with investigating their implications for the future