KRG on Deportation

An official statement from the Deputy Prime Minister.
 

This is the official point of view of the KRG regarding the
planned deportation of Kurdish Refugees by some countries.

April 2001

It is obvious that the KRG has never urged people to leave their country and migrate to Europe.
We have many times emphasized on this openly in our media.

Regarding those who have arrived in European countries, they have sold their properties and
all their belongings and have risked their lives and future to make this trip and arrive in Europe.
They have lost their jobs, money and properties in Kurdistan and returning them will create
number of problems. Such as: The KRG will not be able to provide housing for them, since we
already have problem of resettlement in Kurdistan. According to Habitat 23% of our people are
IDPs. We have a high rate of unemployment in Kurdistan and the KRG can not proved jobs for
returnees. Therefore they will become a big burden on their community. Also it will not be
possible for the KRG to help them monetarily.

The deportation will have a psychological affect on the returnees and they will have a negative
impact on their families and the community.

For these reasons, we see their deportation as a negative step that will have negative
consequences. Therefore, we deem it necessary that both Holland and Sweden, from the
humanitarian point of view and today's situation in Kurdistan and the region as a whole, to
review their decision. Instead of deporting them, to find a better solution and not to commit an
act to add to the suffering of these refugees that may reflect negatively on their communities.
At the mean time, the European countries can take more affective steps not to allow people to
reach their countries easily and ask for asylum.
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com