Five-year-old Khatab Khalaf desperately wants to leave the refugee camp he has called home for the last two years. He wonders why he can’t go to school like other boys his age.
Click Here: Golf special
He cannot because, officially, he does not exist.
Like 45,000 other children born during Islamic State’s rule now living in camps across northern Iraq, Khatab is not acknowledged by the government.
During its three-year-reign, the jihadist group established its own state bureaucracy; registering births, deaths and marriages, as well as collecting tax and distributing welfare benefits.
But since Isil’s defeat here in early 2017, the records – stamped with its notorious black flag insignia – have become worthless.
Credit:
Sam Tarling
In Iraq,…
To continue reading this article
Start a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to Premium articles
- Unlimited access to Premium articles
- Subscriber-only events and experiences
- Cancel any time
Free for 30 days
then only £2 per week
Try Premium
Save 25% with an annual subscription
Just £75 per year
Save now
Register for free and access one Premium article per week
Register
Only subscribers have unlimited access to Premium articles.Register for free to continue reading this article
RegisterOr unlock all Premium articles.
Free for 30 days, then just £1 per week
Start trial
Save 40% when you pay annually.
View all subscription options |
Already have an account? Login