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23/1/12
PRESS RELEASE
Sweden, Norway, Holland and Denmark to
deport Iraqi refugees to Baghdad this week
IFIR has been informed that Sweden,
Norway, Holland and Denmark have arrested many Iraqi
Refugees and intend to send them back to Baghdad on a
joint deportation flight on the 24 or 25 January.
Rebwar one of the Iraqi Kurdish refugees
in Norway contact IFIR says:
“We have a horrible life here. We are
kept in a prison. In a country knowing that refugees and
human rights exist but our life is like a prison every
day we are threatened. I live with 10 other refugees
and we are made to sign in at a police station every
week”
Safen one of the detainees from Gavle
detention centre in Sweden says:
“We are 7 Iraqi Detainees from Gavle
detention centre. There are many other Iraqi detainees
being held in different detention centres. They have
informed us that we will be deported between 24-25
January”
Rebwar also says:
“My friend yesterday was arrested and
removed to Oslo to be sent back to Iraq”
Many people who have been deported in the
past have been beaten, detained and assaulted by Iraqi
police when they have been deported to Baghdad Airport.
Dashty Jamal, secretary of the
International Federation of Iraqi Refugees, says:
“These governments in Europe know that at
this time Iraqi people are suffering from continuing
violence in Iraq yet these countries still forcibly
deport Iraqi refugees. We are asking all human rights
refugee rights and progressive people in European
countries to stand together to stop this barbarism and
demand an end to this inhuman forcible deportation
policy.”
(Ends)
Contact for photos and interviews with
deportees: 07856032991, 07824996724
ifir@hotmail.co.uk
www.csdiraq.com
www.federationifir.com
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Notes for editors
1. The International Federation of Iraqi
Refugees campaigns for the rights of Iraqi refugees and
against forcible deportations and detention. It is a
member of the Coalitions to Stop Deportations to Iraq (www.csdiraq.com)
2. The Kurdistan Regional Government in
the north of Iraq refuse to accept forcible deportations
after popular pressure in the region. European
Governments have increased deportations direct to
Baghdad in response. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/31/kurdish-uk-asylum-seekers-iraq
3. The UNHCR’s statement regarding the
flights to Baghdad can be found here:
http://www.unhcr.org/4c0e33e94fc.html
Amnesty International has also condemned deportations to
Baghdad and the UK courts have not declared it safe to
deport people there.
4. Iraqi refugees continue to suffer from
the forcible deportation policy. Kurdish media has
reported Rebwar Aziz Mohammed Amin, who was deported on
the previous Baghdad deportation flight, as suffering
from severe mental illness since returning while Osman
Rasul committed suicide in July this year after changes
to legal aid meant he lost his legal representation to
fight his immigration claim (see http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/01/asylum-seeker-osman-rasul-death-legal-aid)
5 Bombings and violence continue in Iraq
with a succession of bombs in the last month.
6. Previous deportation flights have seen
allegations of violence and abuse made by deportees
against the security guards. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/18/iraq-deportees-asylum-seeker-claims
7. To operate a mass deportation flight,
the Home Office contracts a range of private companies.
Airlines that are known to have been used include
Hamburg International and Czech Airlines. Bus companies
to drive people from detention to the airport have
included WH Tours and Woodcock coaches. Private security
companies used to escort deportees include Group 4
Securicor and SERCO.
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