According to UNHCR statistics for 2011, 72,361 refugees and people in refugee-like situations originated from Islamic Republic of Iran.
As UNHCR statistics generally rely on data from host countries, statistics on refugees alone can give an insufficient account of refugee numbers, as some host countries will not grant refugee status to certain groups. Including statistics for individuals in refugee-like situations is an attempt to account for unrecognised refugees and does not include stateless and internally displaced persons.
These statistics, which are for 2011, are the latest available, are provisional, and are subject to change.
Click here to see host countries for refugees originating from Islamic Republic of Iran.
Ms Rachel Bernu
E-mail: rrbernu
khrp [dot] org
Kurdish Minorities
Rachel Bernu is the Managing Director of the Kurdish Human Rights Project [KHRP] in London. She has carried out fact-finding missions and trainings in the Kurdish regions of Turkey and Iraq. She has published reports on human rights in Kurdistan, and has edited many of KHRP's publications. Although her expertise covers general human rights in the Kurdish regions, she particularly focuses on the difficulties that women and minority groups face when accessing their rights. This includes the Kurds in Iran. Ms Bernu also speaks French.
Dr Bernd Kaussler
E-mail: kausslbxjmu [dot] edu
Dr Bernard Kaussler is Assistant Professor of Political Science at James Madison University in Virginia. He has five years of experience providing advanced research and analysis, project management, and consultancy for government, private sector, and academic clients. He is willing to enter into discussion with legal representatives about providing expert reports. He has completed expert reports for asylum cases which have included gay rights, women's rights, and cases involving dissidents and members of the opposition, as well minority rights (both ethnic and religious).
International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees
www.icrir.org
E-mail: icri [dot] refugeesgmail [dot] com
Contact: Maria Rohaly, Coordinator, Mission Free Iran
www.missionfreeiran.org
phone: +1 240-595-2633
Email: maria [dot] rohalygmail [dot] com
The International Coalition for the Rights of Iranian Refugees is a collection of international grassroots organizations advocating for refugee rights with a specialized, though not exclusive, focus on the Iranian refugee situation. Our mission is to protect and uphold the asylum rights of refugees in accordance with the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Internet Freedom
Reporters Without Borders has published a list of 10 "internet enemies": countries that actively restrict access to the internet, censor content and pursue and imprison those who upload, contribute and view content which criticises the government. There are corresponding articles detailing the legal obstacles for internet users, and the consequences for those who fall foul of the law. Myanmar is on this list.
Reporters Without Borders has published a list of 10 "internet enemies", i.e. countries that actively restrict access to the internet, censor content and pursue and imprison those who upload, contribute and view content which criticises the government. There are corresponding articles detailing the legal obstacles for internet users, and the consequences for those who fall foul of the law. Iran is on this list.
Dr Shaul Gabbay
Email: see: http://www.muslimworldexpert.com/
Dr Shaul Gabbay is Senior Research Associate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. He has published extensively on cultures and customs in Islam. He is a recognized authority on persecution issues based on family dishonor, gender and homosexuality, and sociology and politics of the Muslim world. Known for his diligent research and ability to clearly explain complicated issues, his testimony has been recognized as a pivotal turning point in successful asylum cases.
Mr Anwar Soltani
E-mail: anwar1333aol [dot] com
Mr Soltani works with the Institute of Linguists as an assessor of exams, and as a freelance translator and interpreter. He has published various research pieces and books regarding Kurdistan. Mr Soltani is willing to authenticate documents and prepare reports on their originality, provided they are in Kurdish (Sorani dialect) or Farsi. Please note that Mr Soltani will not prepare Country of Origin expert reports: his services on this website are regarding authentication only.
Ms Natalia Tereshchenko
Email: 2t [dot] nataliagmail [dot] com
Ms. Natalia Tereshchenko is a researcher and project manager at the Oriental Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, where she focuses on religious and ethnic minority rights in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. She is also a researcher at the global online consultancy, Wikistrat.
Previously, Natalia has been working on legal assistance for Afghanistan through UNODC and has served as the Vice-Chair of the International Refugee Law Committee at the American Bar Association.
Natalia's expertise also includes issues of non-traditional security threats, negotiations with non-state actors and conflict transformation.
Reports, Commentaries and relevant Documents.
- Commentary on the March 2011 Iran OGN. Published by Still Human, Still Here with commentaries on the Operational Guidance Notes (OGN) issued by the UK Border Agency on Iran. This is intended as a tool to assist legal practitioners identify the relevant country of origin information and to help ensure that all relevant material is considered by decision-makers