Iraqi refugees: still a 'long, long way to go'

During the war in Iraq, we were utterly reliant on a team of Iraqi drivers, translators and fixers.

They were optimistic that the Americans would bring freedom and hope – but over the years, as violence escalated, many ended up in crowded, dingy quarters in Syria and Jordan. They had no work, and no income.

Neither America nor Britain, which brought the war to Iraq, wanted to acknowledge those who had been forced to flee, because that would mean accepting that the project had been a disaster. Now, as security in Iraq improves, some are finding their way home.

President Obama has said that helping the refugees is both “a strategic interest and a moral responsibility” – something no British politician has yet acknowledged.

Our producer, Paul Eedle, who has remained in touch with many Iraqis from that time, has made a film and started a website – Hard Way Home, chronicling the lives of Iraqi refugees.

He’s hopeful that things will get better but says “there’s a long, long way to go.”

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