Erbil, Kurdistan Region — Nearly 600 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returned to their homes in Nineveh and Salahaddin provinces on Thursday, according to Iraq’s Ministry of Displacement and Migration. The returnees had been residing in the Harsham camp on the outskirts of Erbil city, marking a significant step in Iraq's ongoing efforts to resettle displaced populations.

Ali Abbas, spokesperson for the ministry, told Rudaw that 599 individuals were among the latest group to return to their homes, with an additional 1,700 IDPs registered to return soon.

“A few days after the displaced individuals return and confirm their settlement, they will receive the benefits promised in exchange for their return,” Abbas stated. The Iraqi government has pledged four million Iraqi dinars (around $3,050), a fridge, stove, and television to families who voluntarily return.

Despite this incentive, many families remain hesitant to return due to ongoing violence, lack of reconstruction, and insufficient basic services in their places of origin. Human rights advocates have expressed concern, emphasizing that any return must be voluntary, safe, and dignified.

In April, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that there were over 1 million IDPs across Iraq, with nearly 5 million people having returned to their homes since the defeat of ISIS. As of March, more than 630,000 IDPs were living in the Kurdistan Region, though most reside outside the 23 established camps.

The Iraqi government has pushed for the closure of IDP camps, setting a July 30 deadline for the Kurdistan Region to close its camps, though the timeline was later extended. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has refused to forcibly close the camps, leading to a lawsuit filed by Iraq’s Minister of Migration and Displacement Evan Faeq Jabro against the KRG.