Middle East Mixed Migration Monthly Summary

March 2017 marked six years since the beginning of the war in Syria as well as the frst time that the number of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries has surpassed 5 million. In addition to those who have fled the country, conflict in March saw some 75,000 people newly internally displaced in Aleppo governorate, with thousands more displaced by fghting in Hama governorate and Dar’a al Balad. Some Syrians fled towards the Turkish border in March, where authorities reported the apprehension of more than 18,000 people. One year has passed since the implementation of the EU-Turkey Agreement, a policy that together with the closure of the Western Balkans route has signifcantly decreased the volume of sea arrivals in Greece, while resulting in fewer returns to Turkey than expected. Improving weather conditions throughout March were marked by more than 1,500 arrivals in Greece, a 40% increase from the previous month. Increasing numbers of Turkish citizens claiming asylum in EU countries, and departures of boats from Turkey headed to Italy, were also reported in March. Ongoing fghting in Iraq, particularly around Mosul, continued to displace thousands of people within the country and internationally throughout March. In the deadliest month for Iraqi civilians since November 2016, the number of people displaced by the Mosul offensive increased by more than 125,000. More than 14,000 Iraqis have been received in Syria’s Al-Hol camp since October 2016, though recent reports indicate that some camp residents are returning to Iraq. The number of Yemenis registered with UNHCR in Jordan increased by more than 1,000 in March, to a total of 7,441 by the end of the month.

The following sections of this report describe monthly developments related to mixed migration by country, including reported arrivals, departures, internal displacement relevant to cross-border movement, and discussion of relevant policy changes