This report aims to provide an understanding of the current policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks and practice in Iraq in relation to the access of refugees and IDPs to the labour markets, employment, livelihood and training opportunities, including self-employment and business development, the rights at work, including social protection and freedom of association.

The report reviewed national legislature, policy documents, datasets and grey literature to establish the legal basis for refugees’ and IDPs’ access to work and their rights at work. Findings from the literature review were verified and triangulated with field work to establish how the laws are understood and implemented in practice. Field work lasted from November 2021 to March 2022 and included key informant interviews with stakeholders in government, private sector, humanitarian and UN agencies, semi-structured interviews with IDPs and refugees in Dohuk, Ninewa and Erbil, and focus group discussions with refugees and IDPs in Ninewa and Dohuk.

The report will guide implementation of PROSPECTS Partnership activities and would feed into the design of integrated interventions that promote decent work for refugees, IDPs and host communities in Iraq. It would further inform the policy dialogue on the access of refugees to the labour markets and its recommendations.