Iraqi security forces used batons and water cannons to disperse protesting health and medical graduates in Baghdad on September 3 and 4, resulting in several injuries, as months-long demonstrations for government jobs intensified, local media agencies reported.

The graduates, demanding centralised employment in line with existing legislation, have been staging protests for several months. This week's violent confrontation has drawn significant public criticism, according to local media reports.

"Some security forces used excessive force to disperse the protesting graduates," Fadel al-Ghraoui, head of the Strategic Centre for Human Rights, told Reuters. "This resulted in injuries among the demonstrators."

Under Law No. 6 of 2000, graduates of medical, nursing, and healthcare colleges are entitled to state employment, a fact acknowledged by Health Minister Salih Mehdi al-Hasnawi during a press conference last year.

However, political activist Nihad al-Shammari said the practice of immediate public sector employment for these graduates has been halted in recent years due to insufficient budget allocations.

"These students entered medical colleges with the expectation of securing government jobs upon graduation, only to be shocked by the halt in appointments," al-Shammari said.

The 2024 budget did not include funds for the appointment of graduates, unlike the previous year's budget. Consequently, the graduates are demanding that the 2025 budget allocate the necessary funds to secure their employment.

In 2022, Iraq produced nearly 45,000 graduates across various medical and health disciplines, according to the Iraqi News Agency.

Al-Ghraoui urged the government to address the graduates' "legitimate demands", recognising their qualifications in fields critical to the Iraqi state.

The ongoing protests highlight the growing unemployment crisis in Iraq, with more protests expected to be held across the country as graduates continue to fight the government's actions.