UNHCR criticized force return of Iraqi asylum seekers to Iraq

by Wamith Al-Kassab (Iraq)

UNHCR criticized in strong terms Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Britain in a joint operation for force return of a large group of asylum seekers Iraqis to Baghdad this week. The Iraqis were sent by charter aircraft to Baghdad. They were asylum seekers with rejected asylum applications. It is the first time a group of European countries have joined forces for the mass deportation of Iraqis, according to UNHCR.

The security situation is unstable in Iraq with the continuing violence and human rights violations. We are concerned about the signal that European mass action sends wrong message to Iraq neighbors Syria and Jordan, where many Iraqis fled, “said UNHCR and regrets that it is usually generous refugee three countries – Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.

UNHCR protests in front of all the returning Iraqis to the districts of Baghdad, Diyala, Ninewa, Salah al-Din and Kirkuk Province. These asylum seekers should be given refugee status or any other international protection, UNHCR believes.

It is not appropriate to send Iraqis back to the rest of Iraq. They cannot just drop them in Baghdad for further transport. There are no transportation options in Iraq with the current security situation,

On UNHCR’s office in Stockholm do not know what the Iraqis are, nor where they will be sent.

-Migration Court in Sweden and Norway has considered that it is possible to return to Iraq and this assessment is practice for the Immigration Service., both countries had sign with Iraq an agreement to force Iraqi asylum seekers to return in return for very good deals in oil fields in Iraq ,the agreement lead to making it impossible for 90% of Iraqi asylum seekers in Scandinavian countries to get asylum ,they are asked to provide evidence that the government in Iraq tries to kill them ,in spit UN reports that Baghdad is very unstable and all bloody massacres from explosions and high death rates in Baghdad and the discrimination of Sunni and Christian and other religious minorities ,these countries force Iraqi asylum seekers to a very painful slow asylum procedure then process there application in 48 hr after at least waiting for 6 months to 12 months for the case to be open ,and then refuses them ,they later arrested and retune by force to Iraq , many flee to apply in other places which under Dublin asylum agreement in Europe is illegal and they are return back to these countries that does not want them to be force to return, no human rights activists in the world are helping them of caring about them ,other than few small groups related to church.