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Over a quarter million Iraqis have emigrated from Iraq following the 2002 American invasion and 2014 conflict with ISIS. During the conflict, the Islamic State controlled a quarter of the country. Over three million Iraqis are displaced in Iraq due to the fighting. Many Iraqis inside the country have fled to the Kurdistan autonomous region, while the migrants have largely fled to neighboring Arab countries or to Europe and America. After the US invasion, over half of the nation's doctors left.

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Choice
In 2014, millions of Iraqi civilians fled from their homes to the Kurdistan region or other nations following the start of the Islamic State's invasion and subsequent conflict with the Iraqi military.

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Incentives
- Escaping the violence from ISIS and between ISIS and the Iraqi military
- Seeking a safer place to wait out the conflict or as a starting point for resettlement

Costs - Explicit
- The people fleeing the conflict had no money, no businesses, no homes; the UN started providing assistance in the form of cash to refugees (UN Refugees)
Costs - Implicit
- The people fleeing lost their communities
- Many people were separated from their families; the United Nations considered child protection and family reunification to be two of its main goals (UN Refugees)
- Refugees had to integrate into a society with a different culture; the Kurdistan autonomous region was largely Kurdish

Benefits - Explicit
- Living in an intact structure, such as UN refugee tents
- Monetary aid, medical attention, and community returns were all services provided by the UN (UN Refugees)
- Receiving education in UN refugee camps
Benefits - Implicit
- Safety from the violence
- Safety from human trafficking; the Islamic legalized slavery (NPR)
- Family reunification aid from the UN was provided to refugees (UN Refugees)

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Settlement Activity
- Between 2014 and 2017, the Iraqi military was engaged in a military campaign against ISIS (BBC News)
- ISIS executed terrorist attacks against the civilian population; for example, they blew up the culturally significant al-Nuri mosque in Mosul (NPR)
- Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, was under the control of ISIS from 2014 to 2017 (The Guardian)
- The Islamic State occupied approximately a quarter of Iraq's total area (The Guardian)

- Some of the settlement activity is environmental, as it involves the destruction of man-made structures
- The settlement activity can also be described as political and social - Iraq was occupied by an outside force: ISIS

Environmental Impacts
- ISIS bombed or tore down the houses of government officials (NPR)
- Mosques - the Muslim place of worship - were riddled with explosives, and some were blown up
- According to reports following the liberation of Mosul, moderate to severe damage is apparent everywhere in the Old City section (BBC News)
- Bullets are largely made of lead, which, when shot, poison the environment with lead particles

Cultural Impacts
- The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria largely follows the Sunni sect of Islam; in occupied areas, they suppress other sects of Islam as well as other religions, forcing people to either convert to flee (Demographic)
- When people flee, an area's population decreases; usually, well-educated middle-class professionals - doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers - flee first (Brown) (Demographic)
- ISIS destroyed many culturally or religiously significant buildings, such as the al-Nuri mosque (Historical)
- ISIS freed prisoners in local prisons and allowed them to wander freely; this is a social impact, as it permits criminals to mingle with the general population
- Slavery was introduced; this is a social impact, as it changes the social hierarchy

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Environmental Impacts
- ISIS blew up or tore down the houses of government officials, cultural sites such as mosques, and government buildings (BBC News, NPR); the destruction of man-made structures are an environmental impact
- Lead in the form of bullets was released into the environment; lead in an environment leads to development problems

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Mosul was one of Iraq's largest cities. In 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria invaded and occupied the city. Immediately after occupation, the terrorist state freed over a thousand prisoners within the local prisons. After seeing the rapid advances by ISIS, many Iraqi trooped deserted their stations and fled. During the city's occupation, numerous structures were demolished, including the al-Nuri mosque and the homes of local politicians.

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Regional Connection [Raqqa, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] - ISIS

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Regional Connection [Raqqa, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] - ISIS

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Islamic extremism has been on the rise in the Middle East for the better part of the century. Many of the world's conflicts have taken place within the oil-rich region, whether it is the Soviet-Afghan war, the toppling of Saddam Hussein, or the American invasion and subsequent occupation of Afghanistan. American intervention in the region has caused many locals to express hatred towards outsiders, particularly the Americans. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the United States started its War on Terror, and invaded several Middle Eastern nations. The various American atrocities committed against the civilian population in the Middle East, whether it is bombing weddings, executing civilians, or the detainment and torture of random citizens (see Abu Ghraib), has resulted in the formation of extremist groups including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. The Islamic State was an extremist Jihadist group active in Iraq and Syria, often committing terrorist attacks on the military and the civilian population, as well as occupying and controlling vast swathes of land. The Jihadist organization's conservative policies and intolerance has resulted in the population of occupied territories to flee the occupation. Its occupation of countries has resulted in counteroffensives by the occupied governments, such as the Iraqi government. The Islamic State's presence in the Middle East has contributed greatly to its instability and danger.

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Middle [Garmawa, Kurdistan] - Settlement Activity

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Middle [Garmawa, Kurdistan] - Settlement Activity

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- Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis fled to the Kurdistan autonomous region of Iraq after the ISIS invasion
- In Kurdistan, United Nations refugee camps started springing up to host the refugees fleeing ISIS
- In Garmawa, Kurdistan, a United Nations refugee camp was established, containing a small hospital
- Another camp was established in Khazair on top of a wheat field
- "UNHCR protection teams have fanned out across the region to gather information..." (UNHCR)

- Demographic - The large influx of non-Kurd Iraqis into Kurdistan has changed the distribution of ethnic groups in the area
- Environmental - The establishment of refugee camps on farmland or natural ecosystems impact the environment
- Social - UN teams going into an area and establishing communication with the locals means two groups are exchanging information, or talking

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Cost
- Leaving everything behind: homes, business, heirlooms, communities; "most fled with nothing" (UN Refugees)
- Having to live in a refugee camps for years on end, until they can move on or return
- There are few job opportunities for refugees in the camps
- Turkey has launched airstrikes against the Kurdistan region, meaning refugee camps may be hit

Benefits
- Healthcare, such as the - “small primary health care center provided by the government and staffed with two doctors, a pharmacist and a nurse.” (UN Refugees)
- Aid programs from international supporters (Oxfam International)
- “The displaced at least have shelter, food, water and safety.” (UN Refugees)
- Existing and intact infrastructure: electricity, water, bathrooms
- Safety from invading ISIS militants and fighting between the Islamic State and the Iraqi military
- “Essential attributes”: basic necessities for survival

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Environmental Impacts
- A refugee camp was built directly on a wheat field in Khazair (UN Refugees)
- The huge influx of refugees will strain the food supplies, meaning more land will be cleared for farms or emission-emitting vehicles will be needed to transport imported food to the camps
- Refugee camps are also equipped with various facilities, including electricity, waste management, water, etc. which need electricity, so fossil fuel generators will most likely be used
- Refugee camps are being built on top of natural ecosystems or fields for crops

Cultural Impacts
- Demographic – an increase in population in Kurdistan, especially of those who are not Kurdish

- Social – refugees are now living next to you or on your (former) property

- Economic – more people seeking jobs, UN is providing infrastructure, the Iraqi government is funding medical resources, such as “a small primary health care center provided by the government.” (UN Refugees)

- Political – the government is helping the refugees living in Kurdistan

- Social – the UN is sending in teams of people to investigate and contact refugees; there are now foreigners asking around the community and talking to the people

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End [Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America] - Settlement Activity

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End [Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America] - Settlement Activity

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- The United States of America has accepted hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees
- “About 350 refugees have settled in Fargo, North Dakota, [in 2015], mostly from Somalia, Iraq, and Bhutan.” (Newsela)
- Los Angeles and surrounding areas have accepted thousands of refugees, including those from Iraq

- Demographic - The large influx of people from an Arab nation creates a minor demographic shift in America's population
- Economic - Cities and town benefit from cheap immigrant labor by filling low-paying positions
- Social - All of a sudden, your neighbor is from halfway across the world and cooks with saffron instead of cayenne

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Choices
- Iraqi refugees have resettled in a variety of other nations, especially other Arab nations, while others have returned home after the cessation of the conflict between ISIS and the Iraqi government in 2017
- Some Iraqi refugees have immigrated to the United States of America and have resettled in small town such as Fargo, North Dakota

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End [United States of America] - Incentives

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End [United States of America] - Incentives

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Incentives
- The Iraqi immigrants' homes in Iraq may have been destroyed
- People may have left before the end of the war, seeking safety and stability
- Many medical workers left, so others may leave due to decreasing healthcare standards and seek a place with better medical infrastructure (Brown)

Cost
- Having to leave behind their homes and communities
- Having to integrate into a different society with different cultures and traditions, as well as having to deal with xenophobia and racism
- Increased chance and severity of exploitation; desperate refugees must accept any jobs offered or die from starvation, meaning they will work jobs with pay below the living wage; according to NewsELA, refugees working at a Berkeley coffee shop get paid $0.47 above the local minimum wage; also, many refugees in Clarkston work at a local chicken plant, an industry associated with blatant disregard for employee and animal wellbeing
- According to NewsELA, many refugees “adopt” the American “work ethic,” taking two or more jobs, with some in the gig economy, meaning an unstable income and overwork

Benefit
- Iraqis do not have to return to their destroyed homes; much of Mosul, one of Iraq’s most populous cities, suffered significant damage
- Immigrants are eligible for naturalization in the US, meaning they can become full-fledged US citizens
- Immigrants can receive support in the form of language training and schooling for children (NewsELA)
- Official refugees are able to receive refugee services from the government

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End [United States of America] - Impacts

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End [United States of America] - Impacts

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Environmental Impacts
- Iraqi immigrants are not likely to produce a significant impact on the United States’ environment, because their numbers are negligible, and their collective actions have negligible environmental impact compared to those of the military that invaded their homes during the 2002 US occupation
- As more Iraqis climb the ladder of social hierarchy, they will start moving into the suburbs, meaning more land will be used to build inefficient single-family homes and grow monocultures such as lawn grass
- No, seriously, the US military using depleted uranium has more impact on American veterans, the local Iraqi population, and the environment than a few dudes from the Middle East

Cultural Impacts
- Demographic – hundreds of thousands of Muslim Arabs have moved into the United States, resulting in demographic shifts; the Iraqi immigrants also speak Arabic and practice Islam, as opposed to American monolingualism and widespread Evangelical Christianity or Catholicism
- Economic – According to NewsELA, many refugees are accepted into communities in order to fill entry-level positions, which, as the mayor of Rutland, Vermont stated, “keeps the economy moving."
- Social – As stated by NewsELA, “more than 700 volunteers …… learn Arabic and plan for welcoming and cultural exchange events."
- Political – Many people are unwilling or hesitant to accept refugees into their communities, stating security concerns; according to NewsELA, thousands of citizens have demonstrated against the acceptance of Arabic refugees and  councilmen in Rutland, Vermont have made an official request to delay refugee resettlement

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Sergei Korolev, Chief engineer behind the Soviet space program that launched the first satellite, first dog, and first human into space.

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Sources - Sergei Korolev Appreciation Post

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Sources - Sergei Korolev Appreciation Post

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Sources:
https://www.unrefugees.org/news/iraq-refugee-crisis-explained/  https://newsela.com/view/ck9noodpl02qz0iqjg10dlq8h/?levelId=ck7ecv4h50e2h14p75qobxw0t  https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/iraq/  https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/iraq/#people-and-society  https://www.uscis.gov/archive/iraqi-refugee-processing-fact-sheet  https://reporting.unhcr.org/turkey?year=2014  https://reporting.unhcr.org/iraq?year=2014  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/10/iraq-sunni-insurgents-islamic-militants-seize-control-mosul  https://www.npr.org/2022/03/14/1086498845/5-years-since-mosul-iraq-was-freed-from-isis-its-mosque-is-under-reconstruction  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37702442  https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/refugees/iraqi  https://www.unrefugees.org/news/a-new-camp-for-the-displaced-springs-up-in-iraq-s-kurdistan-region/  https://irusa.org/iraq-appeal/?device=c&network=x&placement=&creative=&matchtype=&targetid=&campaign_id=19545520260&ad_group_id=  https://newsela.com/view/ck9noof0a03ja0iqjnb5x8nv3/?levelId=ck7ecvitl0ibv14p7yoq2p7x6  https://newsela.com/view/ck9noockc022x0iqjmci67739/?levelId=ck7ecusm90ak014p77bxhr2ct  https://newsela.com/view/ckz7iuqzi00223e67emd3887y/?levelId=ckz7iur8602qf0a4dbf8q2sal