THOUSANDS of Iraqis forced to flee their homes are trapped in a refugee camp within their own country, an international aid agency claims.

The UNHCR aid agency yesterday raised concerns about forcible relocation of Iraqis into camps and “disproportionate restrictions” on their freedom of movement.

The issue surrounds the Nazwara camp in the troubled Kirkuk Governorate, where mustard and chlorine gas were used against Peshmerga soldiers fighting Daesh on Thursday. The terror group is said to be behind the attacks, with more than 50 rockets with chemical substances said to have hit the village of Taza in recent days.

The most ethnic diverse city in Iraq, Kirkuk is strategically important due to its proximity to key resources, with the area around it accounting for 70 per cent of natural gas production and 40 per cent of oil production.

It is also home to around 400,000 Iraqis who have fled other parts of the country due to “conflict and severe human rights abuses”.

The UNHCR opened the Nazrawa camp in November after authorities asked for more help to provide for the large numbers of displaced citizens, with funding taken from 10 donor countries.

An estimated 2,000 people are now based there but the aid agency yesterday accused authorities of imposing increased restrictions on vulnerable residents under the guise of security measures.

Officials in Kirkuk screen arrivals over concerns that some may be related to terror groups.

However, the UNHCR says all Nazrawa inhabitants have been confined to camp for almost three weeks, whether they have been screened or not, cutting them off from employment, legal assistance and other areas of support.

The gates went up on February 22 and the UNHCR says instances of forcible relocation of civilians into camps and disproportionate restrictions on freedom of movement have also been recorded by humanitarian groups in other parts of the country.

Villagers in the Tilkaif district were forced into the Garmawa camp in the north of the country last year and continue to face restrictions on their freedom of movement.

Similar concerns are also emerging in Salah Al Din and Anbar Governorates.

Iraqis make up one of the largest groups of refugees seeking sanctuary in Europe and have faced continued turmoil since the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003, with Daesh gaining ground after the official end to that conflict in 2011.

More than 3.3 million Iraqis have been displaced since January 2014 and the Islamist organisation currently holds Mosul, the country’s second largest city. Last week Iraqi aircraft dropped leaflets over the city telling inhabitants to be ready for “the biggest battle” as authorities prepare an attempt to retake control.

In anticipation of further fighting, yesterday the UNHCR urged the government to establish clear procedures and facilities for screening and separate them from the camps to allow aid workers to provide shelter and humanitarian support.

A spokesperson said: “Authorities have progressively imposed movement restrictions on residents of the camp and since February 22 all residents have been confined to the camp, irrespective of whether or not they have completed security screening procedures.

“UNHCR is concerned about this developing trend as freedom of movement is key to displaced people being able to exercise other rights, such as access to work, food, healthcare and legal assistance.

“With the prospect of further displacement as military operations against extremist groups escalate, it is becoming increasingly urgent for the authorities to ensure both that internally displaced persons are granted access to safety in a timely manner, and that camps maintain their humanitarian character.”