Emma Jane Kirby BBC correspondent in Geneva

Many European countries are keen to start sending Iraqi asylum-seekers home in the next few months, but the UNHCR insists they must be patient.

Iraq's infrastructure is still in chaos in many parts of the country

The agency estimates that up to a million Iraqis fled Saddam Hussein's regime.

And since his defeat, around half of these refugees have asked for help to go home.

But the agency fears that Iraq is not yet stable enough to accept large-scale returns.

It suggests that this year, only small numbers of refugees will be able to go back.

Returning from his second mission to the country in a month, UNHCR special envoy for Iraq Dennis McNamara said that worsening security, particularly around Baghdad, and disputes over property in Northern Kurdish areas showed that a mass influx of returnees could only have a destabilising effect.

Caution

"Iraq is not ready not to receive large numbers of refugees - it's just not economically not viable at this time," he said.

"We've agreed the only way forward is to do it carefully, small scale, build up confidence, build up the services, make it work and then go from there."

Governments from the Middle East region and Europe, which are anxious for the refugees to go back, are set to meet in Geneva on Monday to discuss repatriation plans with the UNHCR.

The refugee agency says it will advise caution.

It says many people, alarmed by the lack of basic facilities like health care and electricity in the country, will simply leave again causing more problems along Iraq's borders.