Historic Justice for the Ezidi People: After Decades of Denial – Property Rights Are Finally Issued in Sinjar

April 15, 2025 – Sinjar, Iraq

In a landmark step toward long-overdue justice, over 15,000 Ezidis living in 11 settlements near Sinjar (Shingal) in Nineveh Province have begun receiving official title deeds to their homes. This unprecedented recognition follows decades of systematic denial and displacement stemming from the Ba’ath regime’s Arabization campaign in 1975.

During that campaign, thousands of Ezidis were forcibly uprooted from their ancestral villages in the Sinjar mountains and resettled in newly constructed collective towns on the plains. While stripped of their homelands, they were never granted legal ownership of the new residences they were compelled to inhabit—leaving generations of Ezidis without documentation or legal claim to their property.

Now, after more than 50 years, the government of Iraq has begun correcting this historic injustice. In April 2025, authorities in Nineveh, together with the Real Estate Registration Department and the Municipality of Sinjar, officially launched the distribution of property ownership documents. In just one recent ceremony, 1,338 ownership letters and around 100 title deeds were issued to Ezidi residents in Dugrey and Tel Uzair Mujama’at.

This action stems from Resolution No. 227, approved by the Iraqi Council of Ministers in March 2025, which enables full legal ownership for displaced Ezidis and waives all associated financial burdens. Previously, acquiring a title deed required paying a fee of 20,000 Iraqi dinars per square meter—about $6,000 per household—an insurmountable cost for many. Thanks to sustained advocacy, especially by UN-Habitat and UNAMI, the government has fully waived this fee for Ezidi beneficiaries.

Murad Hassan, an Ezidi resident who was among the first to receive a deed, expressed his deep relief: “I am very happy that our homes have now been registered as our own property, and we can finally rebuild them.”

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) hailed this development as a breakthrough in advancing durable solutions for displaced and persecuted groups. Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, emphasised the broader significance of the measure:

“The historic recognition of Ezidi land ownership in Sinjar marks a pivotal moment in our joint efforts towards justice and equality. By officially recognising their land rights and waiving all associated burden costs, we are reaffirming the joint commitment of the United Nations and Iraq to the Ezidi people and their rightful place in Iraq’s future.”

UN-Habitat’s contribution to this progress has been profound. Over the past decade, the agency has issued more than 18,000 land occupancy certificates, benefiting over 103,000 individuals. These certificates are now being upgraded to title deeds, transforming previously informal tenure into legally protected land rights.

As implementation continues under the 60-day timeline mandated by the Council of Ministers’ resolution, more Ezidis across Sinjar and Ba’aj are expected to receive ownership documents, enabling them to finally reclaim legal ownership over homes and lands that were stripped from them generations ago.

This milestone not only restores dignity and identity to the Ezidi people but also lays the foundation for secure return, rebuilding, and renewal in Sinjar—a region long scarred by war, displacement, and genocide.