In the last calendar year (ended March 19), more than 4,600 hours of free technical vocational education was given to 24 Iraqi refugees in Ilam Province, including 12 women, said Ali Kheradmand, head of Ilam’s Technical Vocational Education Office of the Education Ministry. According to unofficial figures, 10,000 Iraqi refugees are living in Ilam Province, IRNA reported. Many of the refugees migrated to the western province prior to the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) following atrocities by the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein and also due to their Ilami origin.
