12 people die as boat sinks off Greek island of Paxi  

The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR was contacted by the concerned families who fear that their family members may have drowned. They say they spoke to their family members one hour before they boarded a boat on the 11 January 2020, which was heading for the Italian coast.  Unfortunately the boat ran into trouble by Paxi a Greek island. The boat reported to have more than 50 people on board took on water and sank near Paxi. We understand that six coast guard patrol boats, two navy helicopters and four passing cargo ships have been engaged in the continuing rescue of the refugees. We have been informed that the Greek Coast Guard has rescued 21 people and found a further 12 bodies.  

The families of the refugees are very worried they last spoke to their children one hour before the boat left Greece and despite trying to call them they have had no response.

Please see below the names we have been given with attached photographs.  Please let us know as soon as possible if those named below have been rescued or their bodies have been found.

Name                                                Date of Birth                           country

1-Sarkar Rahman Baram                  20-03-1997                         Iraq-Sulymaneyah

2-Sherwa Ahmad Abdulqader           04-12-1996                           Iraq-Sulymaneyah

3-Dyari Sabir Pirot                           15-12-1996                 Iraq-Sulymaneyah

4-Shwana Hama Ameen Beirut        04-04-1980                             Iraq-Sulymaneyah

5-Pshtewan Bakir Xder                                                                                           Iraq-Sulymaneyah

6-Kosrat Abdullah Baraim                01-01-1993                       Iraq-Sulymaneyah

7-Zanko Lokamn Omer                                                                                           Iraq-Sulymaneyah

8-Ahmad Omer Muhamad                 1995                             Iraq-Sulymaneyah

9-Aras Ali Mohamed                  02-12-1989                               Iraq-Sulymaneyah

 

CC: Human and refugee rights organizations 

The Background to IFIR.

• IFIR is a free, humanitarian and International organization defending the universal rights of refugees, realizing the rightful protests of the refugees.
  • IFIR has a history of pride. Since its founding in 1992, in countries like Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Britain, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and Turkey
  • IFIR was on the frontline defending the humanitarian values, refugee rights. It has worked for equal rights and equal freedom of the individuals. It fought against discrimination and building borders and was for unconditional right of free movement.
  • IFIR tries to continuously broaden the human rights of the Kurdish and Iraqi refugees and that everyone has a fair share in a free, safe and a better life.• IFIR has helped thousands of people, protecting their rights and dignity, stopping forcible deportation.
  • IFIR is working to enable the acceptance of refugees from the above mentioned countries, initiating hundreds of campaigns to collect international supports for stopping the process of refugee deportation.
  • In its efforts, IFIR has helped many refugees to gain asylum and provided them with their basic needs in the countries in which they live without considering any religious, political, ethnic and nationalistic ideologies and motives.
  • Defending the right of refugees, IFIR has organized many demonstrations, protests and meetings in the European parliament, presented petitions to the responsible sections in the European countries.

• Rebwar Arif was the official secretary of IFIR until 2007 he has a rich history of supporting refugees. Thereafter at the first congress of IFIR the representatives of  IFIR from different countries appointed Dashty Jamal as secretary of IFIR.

• In February 2012 the IFIR founded a branch in Kurdistan in presence of Dashty Jamal and the deportees.
  • The IFIR’s headquarters is based in Britain and continues to defend refugee rights.
  In recent years:
  • IFIR has freed many imprisoned refugees.
  • IFIR has returned the body of many drowned refugees in the Mediterranean Sea.
  • IFIR searched for many missing refugees.
  • IFIR has helped many women and children who were victims of domestic violence and fought for them to gain the right of asylum.

• IFIR has constantly supported and given help to women and children placed in displacement camps in Iraq and Kurdistan.

IFIR will continue working independently from any political party promoting humanitarian aims.

International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR

15/01/2020