Shafaq News – Erbil

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Interior Ministry warned on Thursday that steps taken by Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displacement and the Supreme Relief Committee risk altering the demographic makeup of Christian and Yazidi areas, where many displaced families remain in camps.

Minority areas such as the Nineveh Plains and Sinjar are disputed territories claimed by both governments. They are home to diverse communities, including Christians (Assyrians and Chaldeans) and Yazidis, who endured atrocities during ISIS rule from 2014 to 2017.

In a statement, the ministry said around 600,000 people uprooted by the ISIS assault are still awaiting conditions for a safe and dignified return, with 18 camps currently operating in the Region.

It noted that the Iraqi government’s meetings are aimed at preventing these groups from returning to their original towns and instead resettling them elsewhere, calling the move a form of unlawful demographic change.

"Such measures contravene the Iraqi constitution, international law, UN principles, and the Geneva Conventions."

The ministry called for urgent intervention, including swift implementation of the 2020 UN-brokered Sinjar Agreement — intended to normalize security, administration, and reconstruction in the district and enable Yazidis’ return — alongside the appointment of a new governor and the resumption of reconstruction and basic services.