More than 263,000 Syrian refugees live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, according to statistics from the Crisis Coordination Center affiliated with the region’s Ministry of Interior.

The Kurdish Rudaw news agency reported on Monday, August 3, citing the center, that more than 91,000 Syrian refugees live in camps, while the remainder are distributed across the region’s cities.

The agency said the Kurdistan Region contains 27 camps for displaced people and refugees, including nine camps designated for Syrian refugees across the governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok.

The Syrian refugee population comprises 54,693 families totaling 263,456 people. Of these, 20,381 families, totaling 91,935 people, live in camps, while 34,312 families, totaling 171,521 people, live in cities.

Statistics by Governorate

Statistics from the Crisis Coordination Center show that 28,953 families, totaling 141,101 people, live in Erbil governorate. This includes 6,815 families, or 30,452 people, living in camps, while 22,138 families, or 110,649 people, live in the city.

Sulaymaniyah governorate hosts 7,439 families totaling 35,749 people. Of these, 2,207 families, comprising 9,588 people, live in camps, while 5,232 families, comprising 26,161 people, live in the city.

Duhok governorate hosts 18,301 families totaling 86,606 people, including 11,359 families living in camps and 6,942 families living outside them. The families living outside the camps total 34,711 people.

Camp Residents by Governorate

Syrian refugees are distributed across several camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Erbil governorate contains Qushtapa camp, which hosts 8,632 people, while 8,122 people live in Kawergosk camp, 11,975 in Darashakran camp, and 1,723 in Basirma camp.

In Sulaymaniyah governorate, 9,588 people live in Arbat, also known as Barika camp.

In Duhok governorate, 915 people live in Aqrah camp, 10,609 in Domiz 2, 28,868 in Domiz 1, and 11,503 in Kawilan camp.

About 900 Returnees Since Early 2026

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, announced that about 900 Syrian refugees had returned from Iraq to Syria since the beginning of 2026, stressing that the returns were entirely voluntary.

In a statement published on its official X account on May 7, UNHCR said returning Syrian refugees receive individual counseling and are provided with carefully considered options to ensure that their decisions to return are voluntary.

UNHCR previously said that 6,811 registered Syrian refugees and asylum seekers voluntarily returned home from Iraq during 2025.

Iraq hosts 346,066 refugees and asylum seekers, with Syrians accounting for approximately 88% of the total, according to UNHCR data.

About 82% of refugees live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, while the remainder are distributed across central and southern Iraqi governorates.

Among those living in the region, 34% reside in nine designated refugee camps, while 66% live in urban areas, particularly Erbil, followed by Duhok and Sulaymaniyah.

Refugees living outside the Kurdistan Region are concentrated mainly in central and southern Iraq, particularly in the capital, Baghdad.