FAQ

The Migrant Resource Center is a counselling centre. The Centre does not interfere in migration procedures or offer job opportunities or travel facilities. Its role is limited to counselling and information provided by counsellors specialised in Arabic, Kurdish, and English in Iraq. The MRC helps people make informed decisions when considering migration. It provides departing, willing, potential and returning migrants with information on a wide range of migration-related challenges and opportunities.

There are many services provided by the MRC, whether within the centre or in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, vocational training centres and universities, including:

Counselling: Counselling and guidance is one of the core services offered at the MRC. The counselling is free-of-charge and strictly confidential. We follow a tailor-made approach while giving counselling, just appropriate to the clients' needs. As a result, our counselling types vary, such as: legal, career, psychological and social counselling.

Awareness Raising and Outreach Sessions: 

MRC team arrange orientation sessions for prospective migrants, professionals, students to introduce people to the different cycles of migration, safe and regular ways to migrate abroad and aware people on the danger and bad consequences that are involved in irregular migration. 

Post Arrival Orientation Sessions for the Foreign Workers Newly Arrived at Iraq (PAOS):

 Post-arrival assistance to foreign workers coming to Iraq, providing them with information on their right and obligations in the country. In addition to guiding them about how to contact MoLSA- MRC in case that any of their rights are violated.

Reintegration Assistance: 

One of the specialized services of the MRC is reintegration assistance. The Reintegration Information Desk (MRC-RID) in MRC functions as the central point of contact for returnees, who wish to obtain information on reintegration services. 

MRC Returnees’ Reintegration Services:

• Providing business innovation courses in cooperation with the Business Incubation Department at MOLSA.
• Providing psychosocial support sessions to returnees.
• Providing capacity-building sessions on CV development and prep for job interview.

Reintegration Assistance “Loans for returnees”

 Referral: MRC acts as referral platform or structure for other needs and services needed by     migrants and their families such as:

• Access to government programs and services
• Compliance with requirements for migrants during on-site or return and reintegration cycles.

To clarify, the MRC does not provide any migration facilitation, and it is not possible to apply for migration, travel, job opportunities, or visas through the MRC. Its role is limited to providing awareness, consultations, and information regarding visa procedures and assisting job seekers in Iraq.

Regular migration is either for work/investment or study abroad.

If you are interested in migrating, you must first determine the type of migration requested, identify the destination country/countries, and then research the different procedures for each of these countries, as costs and application methods vary from country to country.

If you are considering smuggling and irregular migration, it is our job to warn you that the journey is fraught with dangers that may threaten your lives. There are many risks, including human trafficking, trafficking in human organs, money theft, encounters with highway robbers, and arrests in the destination or transit countries.

Even if you reach the destination country, it is difficult to regularise your legal status and transition from an irregular citizen who has broken the law by crossing borders illegally to a legally residing citizen.

If you intend to migrate irregularly, we strongly encourage you to reconsider and think more carefully before making this decision.

If you are interested in migrating for work, the first step is to determine the destination country and then search for jobs in that country that match your professional experience.

Usually, there are websites where jobs are posted for each country. Then you apply for jobs and conduct remote interviews until you are accepted for a job, and the company or agency begins the invitation and visa procedures.

We encourage those who want to work abroad to first learn the language of the destination country, as having the language will help them find job opportunities that are published in the local language, in addition to the possibility of greater competition for job opportunities in the destination country.

Family reunification procedures in the European Union countries vary among member states, but there are some general conditions and procedures that can be expected. For example, in Germany, a person must be recognized as a refugee or entitled to asylum to be able to reunite with their family. Different rules apply to people who enjoy subsidiary protection and a deportation ban.

In general, family reunification applications must be submitted to the competent authorities in the member state where the person lives.

For specific information on family reunification procedures in a particular country, please mention the name of the country and all details to provide the information and respond to you as quickly as possible.

Getting married to other nationalities for family reunification in the European Union countries is subject to specific laws that vary among member states, and some conditions must be met to bring spouses from third countries. These conditions typically include proving the marital relationship, financial capability, and sometimes language requirements.

It is important to note that marriage for reunification must be genuine and not merely a means to achieve migration, as European countries take measures to verify the validity of marital relationships. For specific and detailed information, it is advised to contact the embassy or consulate of the concerned country.

If you are interested in studying abroad, the first step is to determine the country and search for universities or colleges that suit your interests and accept international students.

Then you research the application procedures for the university and visa procedures for the specified country and begin the application process.

After being accepted by the university, you attach the acceptance letter with the visa application to facilitate the visa as it is for study purposes.

It may be useful to search for universities that offer certain scholarships to foreign students of different nationalities and look for ways to apply for these scholarships.

To stay informed about the scholarships available from Iraq, you can visit the website of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research:

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

It is important to ensure that the university you intend to apply to is a real and recognized university in Iraq. You can search for the guide to scholarship universities and the guide to private expense universities on the official website of the Department of Scholarships and Cultural Relations at the following link:

Department of Scholarships and Cultural Relations

You can also contact the official institutes of countries in Iraq, such as the French Cultural Institute or the British Institute, etc., as they have departments specialized in studying in their countries according to the available programs.

Please note that there are many fake universities that seek to exploit those who want to study abroad, so we urge you to be cautious and verify before paying any costs.

There are many websites that you can follow as they publish job opportunities.

These sites do not represent the migrant Resource Centre and are not affiliated with the centre, but we will send them to you for the purpose of reviewing them according to your expertise and scientific and professional specialisation and according to the location of the job or the province you live in or prefer to work in, you can choose the job that suits you.

You can visit the centre to request assistance in preparing your CV and learning how to apply and search if you need help with this topic, or you can contact us on the centre's WhatsApp number for more information.

• Tanqeeb website: Tanqeeb
• Website of the Coordination Committee for NGOs operating in Iraq: NCCIraqJobs
• UN Jobs website: UNJobs
• For9a website: For9a
• Oil And Gas Jobs in Iraq
• Bayt website: Bayt
• Iraq Scout job website: Iraq Scout

The Migrant Resource Centre works to assist returning migrants and reintegrate them into safe, voluntary, and dignified conditions. The joint initiative between the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the International Center for Migration Policy Development aims to increase the range of support provided to returning Iraqis by enhancing consultation and reintegration into Iraqi society and supporting them economically and socially upon their return to Iraq, by answering their questions and inquiries and guiding them, especially in the field of registering as job seekers in the database of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, as well as indicating the location of the MRC and the required documents.

• Obtaining the job seeker card through the Mihan platform on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
• Enrolling them in business innovation courses (How to Start Your Project) that give participants knowledge on how to prepare an economic feasibility study and how to start the project.
• Referring returnees to the Small Income-Generating Projects Support Department to obtain soft loans.
• Providing sessions of psychosocial support (PSS), and sessions on how to prepare a CV and how to pass a job interview.