Migration from Iraq between the Gulf and the Iraq wars (1990-2003): historical and sociospacial dimensions

Geraldine Chatelard (1)

1 IFPO - Institut Français du Proche-Orient

This paper describes and analyses trends and patterns of migration from Iraq with a focus on the movement of those Iraqis who migrated from their country between the Gulf War in 1990-1991 and the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in April 2003. The conceptual frame of migration orders is used however combined with approaches proposed by social geography and social anthropology. The first part describes and analyses the dynamics, flows, directions, poles and sociological features of Iraqi emigration in before the 1991-1991 Gulf war. The focus of the second part is on how regional and global trends of Iraqi migration were reshaped between the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the end of 2002. The last part looks as a series of social variables relevant in the regional context of migration and in Iraq. The paper discussed the relevance of distinguishing between the political and economic causes of emigration; argues that a combination between forced migration and collective dynamics characterises the post-Gulf war Iraqi order; and evaluates the role of migrants' social networks. Migration trends between 1990 and 2003 are shown to be partially embedded in previous trends, whereas the new migration order that emerged from embargoed Iraq is argued to have launched long-lasting and far-ranging collective migration dynamics.

Reconceptualised and augmented English version of 2005 paper entitled 'L'émigrations des Irakiens de la guerre du Golfe à la guerre d'Irak (1990-2003)'.

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

Mots clés: Irak; réfugiés; ordre migratoire; réseaux sociaux

Domaines: Géographie; Sociologie; Anthropologie sociale et ethnologie; Histoire

Geraldine Chatelard. Migration from Iraq between the Gulf and the Iraq wars (1990-2003): historical and sociospacial dimensions. 2009. ⟨halshs-00364961⟩