West Mosul. Perceptions on Return and Reintegration among Stayees, IDPs and Returnees

Although 18 months have passed since the Iraqi government officially declared victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the city of Mosul – and particularly west Mosul, which was the group’s final stronghold in Iraq – is still facing significant challenges that hinder the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of whom are now living in or at-risk of protracted displacement. IOM Iraq’s Community Stabilization Unit commissioned this study to better understand the social fault lines which have emerged since the ISIL crisis, and identify how to rebuild trust and promote social cohesion in west Mosul, with a focus on three main groups: “stayees”, IDPs, and returnees. This report, based on interviews and focus groups with a total of 110 Iraqi men and women in west Mosul and three nearby IDP camps, provides a rapid assessment of current barriers to return and the challenges that IDPs face if and when they decide to return to west Mosul.