A leading global migration expert says Australia is likely to see an increase in the number of Iraqi asylum seekers arriving by boat because of a refugee crisis in the Middle East.

Dr Philip Marfleet, from the University of East London, says conditions for thousands of Iraqi refugees across the Middle East are growing worse by the day and he has called on Australia to increase its intake of Iraqi refugees to help ease the situation.

His comments are part of a special report by the ABC News Online Investigative Unit and the Lateline program, which airs tonight on ABC1.

"More and more people from Iraq and other crisis zones are likely to seek sanctuary in Australia ... I would describe it as a chronic crisis," he said.

"It's extremely likely, I think, that over the coming years we will see more and more Iraqis emerging into the smuggling networks."

Hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled Iraq to Jordan, Syria and other surrounding countries since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Many are teachers, doctors and other professionals with their families.

Now many of them are trapped in a limbo between temporary settlement and a new home.

They cannot return to Iraq because they have been marked by militias for revenge, or they fear their children could be kidnapped.

Some Iraqis have managed to transplant their lives to Jordan and live well, buying real estate and boosting the Jordanian economy.

For the rest, survival means working in Jordan's underground economy.

This means selling cigarettes on the streets or working as dancers and prostitutes.

Watch Chapter One of Far From Freedom here.

Nadim, Salima and Khazim

Nadim and Salima are Iraqis from Baghdad. They fled to Amman in 2003 with their 13-year-old son, Khazim.

Their home is a veranda with two small rooms attached.

They cook on a camping stove in a makeshift kitchen.

Nadim walks on crutches after being injured while working on a construction site in Amman.

As an illegal worker he has no health cover or access to state-sponsored hospitals.

Now he spends his days watching the television set outside.

The family cannot return to Iraq and Salima sees few options for her family.

"Do you think we still have hope left?" she said.

Nadim adds, "I would prefer immigration, because I cannot go back. If I go back I'd be killed. We want to come to Australia."

When asked why, he replies, "Australian people are generous."

Watch Chapter Three of Far From Freedom here.

The 'boat people'

Dr Philip Marfleet has just released a report into the refugee crisis.

He says Iraqi refugees live in a state of perpetual uncertainty, and this uncertainty leads asylum seekers to consider using people smuggling networks.

The restrictive immigration policies of Australia and other countries in the West, says Dr Marfleet, leave refugees like Nadim and Salima with few legal options.

"Migration controls are being imposed more and more assertively, it's very difficult to move by legal means, so I'd anticipate that the movement of Iraqis into what one might call the irregular channels of migration, is a short to medium-term prospect," he said.

He says these avenues pose enormous risk for asylum seekers.

"They not only implicate those involved in criminal activity but they are physically, extraordinarily dangerous, particularly for women," he said.

Australia's participation in the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq, according to Dr Marfleet, means Australia has an obligation to ensure Iraqis are not exposed to further danger.

"One would very much hope, that Australia, with its long history of migration and its intimate understanding of migration and associated problems, might embrace people who come from these migration zones with an understanding of the predicaments they face," he said.

Arrivals

In 2008 to 2009, the Federal Government granted 2,874 Iraqi nationals offshore visas.

A further 122 Iraqis were given permanent protection visas. They all arrived on boats.

Damien Kilner, the immigration counsellor at the Australian embassy in Amman, defends Australia's immigration policy.

He says Australia provides assistance to those in emergency situations.

"An additional 500 places were allocated for Iraqis [in 2008 - 2009] because they have been in greatest need," he said.

"There were a lot of cases in particular, critical situations, so additional places were provided for these people."

According to Dr Marfleet it is not enough.

He describes Australia's refugee stance as "discredited policy".

"I have to say that as someone who has examined these global movements very carefully, that it is extremely regrettable that the Australian Government has taken the position it has," he said.