Iraq allocated $4M for refugees

BAGHDAD, June 2 (UPI) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration Monday set aside nearly $200 million to repatriate displaced Iraqi refugees living in other countries.

The Iraqi daily Al-Sabah said Monday, citing government sources, the allocation follows a meeting between Refugee Minister Abdul Samad Rahman Sultan and Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki to discuss repatriation issues.

Various tallies put the total number of Iraq refugees at more than 4 million, with roughly 2 million in Syria and another 1.25 million in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, the Iranian Press TV said.

The ministry registered at least 10,000 returning Iraqis following consultations with international aid groups.

Interviews with Iraqis living abroad suggest nearly 94 percent of them would return home if the security situation and employment outlook improved.