Association of Returnee Professionals in Kurdistan (ARPK) has been launched by a small group of activists from Kurdistan. The non-profit organisation is independent and helps professional who are either planning or have already returned to Kurdistan find jobs, as well as accommodation.
ARPK is the first organisation that has developed a network of professionals from diverse backgrounds to act as a guide for new graduates from United Kingdom and other countries. Ronahe Mustafah is one of the Kurdish professionals I interviewed briefly, she said, 'Organisations that give graduates a realistic image of what Kurdistan offers helps them decide whether they want to move back, and when they do what opportunities are available to them.'
Membership to ARPK is open to all professionals that plan to return to Kurdistan or have already returned. This organisation remains non-political and independent. I spoke to the Chairperson of ARPK, who is also the founder of Kurdistan Health Information Bank. Dr. Shakawan is a consultant physician in Acute & General Internal Medicine in United Kingdom. He said, 'We have this organisation as a means of assisting returnees to Kurdistan. The region is progressing at a fast pace, and there are many opportunities for people'. When I asked him about Kurdistan's growing reputation as a safe haven within Middle east, particularly Iraq, he said, 'This is one of the reasons why I encourage Kurdish professionals to return to their homeland. When Kurds left Kurdistan, it was due to the persecution they faced from Saddam Hussein. Now he is dead, and the region is safe.'
In the near future, ARPK plans to partner with organisations and companies that offer Kurdish graduates jobs within Kurdistan. ARPK aims to facilitate cheap accommodation for graduates and Kurdish professionals, enabling them to live comfortably in Kurdistan.
You can find out more about joining ARPK on their website here.