Hundreds of Kurdish families in the Arafa neighborhood of Kirkuk are facing displacement and arrest warrants, prompting appeals for the government to resolve their land ownership issues humanely.

The neighborhood is prominent in central Kirkuk, known for its diverse population, including Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, and Christians, as well as being the historical location for North Oil Company facilities.

Residents Appeal to Officials to Freeze Eviction Proceedings 

The residents of Arafa, comprising approximately two thousand Kurdish families, have issued an urgent appeal to the governor, parliament members, and human rights organizations. 

The community states that after years of rebuilding the area, they now face imminent displacement and potential imprisonment, prompting demands for an immediate freeze on all legal proceedings against them. 

Following the collapse of the Baathist regime in 2003, these families returned to Kirkuk from internal displacement and settled in the Arafa neighborhood. 

Subsequent legal reviews revealed the property belongs to the state-owned North Oil Company, subjecting residents to continuous legal litigation and outstanding arrest warrants on charges of illegal encroachment on state lands.

Families Plead for Judicial Freeze 

The Kirkuk Court and Criminal Court have now summoned all families in the neighborhood to appear before the judiciary. Residents are requesting a temporary freeze on judicial proceedings until a fundamental solution is found, warning that these decisions threaten family breakdowns and secondary displacement.

Joint Committee to Resolve Land Crisis 

To resolve the crisis, Arafa residents propose forming a joint committee comprising the Kirkuk administration, the Ministry of Oil, the Ministry of Migration and Displaced, and neighborhood representatives. 

The community is demanding either official title registration of the land under their names or the provision of suitable relocation alternatives and fair compensation to prevent a humanitarian and socioeconomic crisis.