Case No. UKUT-00544-(IAC)

7. Dr Fatah was awarded a BSc and MSc by the University of London and a PhD by University College London and worked in commercial and strategic positions from 1989-2001 for British Telecom, Fujitsu, Nortel Networks and 186K. Since 2000 he has been working as an expert producing country reports , nationality assessments and document authentication reports for solicitors’ firms in the United Kingdom , the Netherlands , the United States and Norway . He has also acted as a consultant to the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons of Belgium and with the Finnish League for Human Rights. He speaks Kurdish Sorani and Arabic in addition to English. 8. Since 2000, he has completed approximately 2,000 expert reports (these include reports for four country guidance cases) as well as over 100 scientific, technical and commercial conference papers. He is the founder of the Middle East Consultancy Service (“MECS”). This service has provided in-depth research for UNHCR, International Organisation for Migration-Iraq, Transparency International and Risk Advisory. He travels to Iraq and IKR on a regular basis and was most recently there between 31 August and 16 September 2014 and 29 January and 6 February 2015. 9. In his 90 page report, dated 27 February 2015, Dr Fatah addresses the general security situation in Iraq in some detail, with particular reference to the ‘disputed territories’, Baghdad , the south and the IKR. He thereafter provides in depth evidence in relation to the issue of relocation within Iraq , focusing on Baghdad and the IKR and, in particular, the economic and humanitarian situation in those areas and the obtaining of identity documentation. 10. In his report of 8 April 2015 Dr Fatah provides detailed evidence on the demography and security situation in Baghdad, with particular consideration being given to whether non-state militia are present in Baghdad, whether they have de facto control of any civilian urban areas within the Baghdad governorate; whether they target civilians and, if so, how and who. Thereafter he addresses issues relating to road travel in the south of Iraq and the circumstances prevailing in the southern governorates. Dr Fatah then sets out a summary of the contact he, or his organisation, has with, inter alia , the Ministry of Interior of Iraq, the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, an Iraqi MP, UNHCR-Iraq, the International Organisation for Migration, the Norwegian Refugee Council and USAID Iraq Access for Justice – identifying in particular the role that these organisations play in Iraq. He finally turns, in his second report, to further consider relocation to the IKR and, in particular, the mechanics of entry into and residence within that region. 11. In the latter of his three reports Dr Fatah addresses the nature and extent of Baghdad ’s “Central Archive” of civil records.