Return of displaced Iraqis erratic

BAGHDAD, May 21 (UPI) -- A survey by the Iraqi government and an international migration agency found irregular rates of return among internally displaced Iraqis.

The Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration along with the International Organization for Migration said in its biweekly report for May that internally displaced persons are facing increased pressure from central and local authorities removing them from temporary but illegal residencies.

"Local authorities (in Muthanna province) issued a new order to remove all illegal collective settlements within two weeks, regardless of whether the squatting families are IDPs or host community," the report says. "Many IDPs live in these settlements because they cannot afford anything else."

Some displaced residents, however, are mounting opposition to the orders. In the southern city of Basra, for example, migration officials found families living in a former military building mounted a successful demonstration against eviction orders.

Many displaced Iraqis also face a shortage of available drinking water and survive on limited supplies of government food rations.

The report adds, however, that the Iraqi central government and the U.S. military are trying to find safe areas for IDPs to return to in Baghdad and most recently in the Sadr City district.

There are currently more than 2.7 million internally displaced Iraqis.