Al-Sahaf: Several measures to confront smuggling and human trafficking

Baghdad-INA
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday, that the measures taken to stop travelling to Belarus are aimed to prevent taking advantage of the Iraqis through smuggling and human trafficking networks.
 
MOFA spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahaf said, in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "An investigative committee was formed, with the follow-up of a diplomatic cadre in Moscow, to find out the details of the incident that killed an Iraqi citizen on the border strip linking Belarus and Lithuania, noting that the committee met with the concerned authorities in the Belarusian government to find out the accurate details of the accident."
Al-Sahaf explained, the government has taken a number of measures regarding the issue of Iraqi refugees and travelers to Belarus, including stopping the flights with Belarus, affirming that the aim is to stop the smuggling networks and human trafficking.
Al-Sahaf added, "We are following the situation of the Iraqis on the border strip between Belarus and Lithuania," stressing that "the Iraqi embassy in Moscow has assigned a group of diplomatic staff to issue transit passports to Iraqis there wishing to return voluntarily and officially, in addition to that the Iraqi airlines are working to facilitate return flights from Belarus to Baghdad.
 
In a related issue, He pointed out that Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein received several  phone calls from his counterparts in the European Union, as they discussed the negative repercussions of human trafficking and its impact on the security and safety of individuals.
 
On the other hand, the spokesman for MOFA stated, that the strategic dialogue between Iraq and U.S and the Iraqi negotiating delegation resulted in an agreement to end the presence of US combat forces from Iraqi soil at the end of this year, explaining that their presence will be limited in numbers, and their role will be training, advice, enhance the abilities and intelligence information sharing.