For Ziad, an Iraqi Christian exiled in Lebanon, returning home just isn't an option.

"I lost my business, my house and my wife. My only hope is to be resettled with my children to another country," he said.

Ziad, 40, used to have three food stores in Basra, but following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, a Shiite militia took over his businesses because he was known to have sold alcohol.

His house was also taken and Ziad ended up in Lebanon in September 2007 with his wife and three children. His wife passed away over Christmas following two severe strokes that Ziad says were caused by stress.

"My wife had her first stroke when our house was taken in 2003," he said. "We eventually walked over the mountains from Syria to Lebanon last autumn and the situation we faced here was too much for her. She had another two strokes and passed away."

Ziad's story is not unusual. Despite recent reports of refugees finally being repatriated amid a decrease in violence in Iraq, the reality is that many of the country's 4.5 million refugees and displaced people see little prospect of a joyful homecoming.

Iraqi officials have said most of those who have returned have come back from Syria, where about 1.5 million Iraqis have put a great strain on resources. According to a recent survey of returning Iraqis by the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, most returnees had run out of money and had no way to support their families.

Iraq's government is offering a returnee grant of 1 million dinar ($800) as an incentive for refugees to come home. That's often enough to help an Iraqi family survive for months.

"I would say that many returning to Iraq now are doing it because they find it difficult to support themselves elsewhere," UNHCR representative Stephane Jacquement said. "This seems to be the main reason. It's too early to know if the current security situation is sustainable and whether it is safe for the Iraqis to return."

The Iraq conflict has now lasted longer than World War One. Estimates of civilian deaths vary widely, from about 90,000 by the Iraq Body Count project to more than a million by British polling agency Opinion Research Business.

Syria and Jordan had previously welcomed Iraqis with open arms, but both countries have now closed their borders. That makes it impossible for those who brave a return to change their minds and seek refuge again - no matter what threats they face when they get home.

For several years, Iraqis in Lebanon without valid visas were classified as illegal immigrants even if they were registered with UNHCR as refugees. Lebanese security forces granted them a three-month amnesty on Feb. 21.

About 50,000 Iraqis who were sheltering in Lebanon will be issued Iraqi passports so they can leave the country. Those who can find a job and a sponsor will be able to get a visa to stay in Lebanon.

About 570 Iraqis are now detained in Lebanese prisons for entering the country illegally. They will be released gradually over the next few months. Thirteen detainees were released on Feb. 29.

Going home still isn't an option for many of them, and UNHCR says it will only be able to resettle 1,500 Iraqis in Lebanon by the end of 2008. The Iraqis now need to choose whether to wait or try their luck elsewhere.

Meanwhile, mental health problems are on the rise with every year spent away from home, often in appalling conditions. Traumatic experiences in Iraq such as killings, kidnappings and torture have contributed to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in many cases.

A study conducted by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) between November 2007 and January 2008 on the mental health and psychosocial needs of Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Lebanon found high levels of emotional and psychological distress.

IOM interviewed 200 families - about 800 people - and discovered that half had experienced symptoms of distress including panic attacks, anger, fatigue, sleep problems.

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), which runs service centres for Iraqi refugees in Lebanon, says it has seen an increase in violent behaviour among the Iraqis.

"We recently had to employ security to our Beirut service centre due to some of the customers becoming violent towards our staff when they were not able assist them immediately with money," said Seta Hadeshian, director of MECC's Unit on Life and Service.

"It is understandable that they are frustrated and tired. They have been suffering now for years. These are also often middle class families who now have lost everything."

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