MOMD counts number of Iraqis in Germany, Norway and al-Hol camp

Baghdad-INA

The Ministry of Migration and Displaced(MOMD) on Wednesday counted the number of Iraqis in Germany, Norway and al-Hol camp, while announcing programmes for returnees from the camp.
 
"Every Iraqi has the right to look towards a better life and future and has the right to travel, but there are those who exploit Iraqis, especially in Belarus, and there are gangs and mafias to smuggle people with illegal migration and push them towards the 600 km border line between Lithuania and Poland with no purpose but to withdraw money," Undersecretary Karim al-Nouri told The Iraqi News Agency (INA). 
 
"Iraq has taken positive steps, including suspending flights to Belarus and changing exceptional flights from Belarus to Baghdad," al-Nouri said, adding that "most of the stranded migrants returned are 95 percent and they are from the Kurdistan region.
 
He regretted that "Belarus is exploiting its conflict with the European Union and turning Iraqis into a pressure card on the Union," stressing that "those who pay the price are the Iraqis".
 
"Iraq was able to return more than 4,500 citizens after the large crowds of Iraqis in Belarus in search of a good life in Europe, but the Polish government has banned asylum, most of whom have returned home," he said, adding that "Iraq was fully interacting with its nationals and does not want to get involved with mafias that are only thinking of making money."
 
Regarding the Syrian al-Hol camp, Al-Nouri said, “The camp is about 13 km away from Iraq and contains 70,000 people of all nationalities, including 30,000 Iraqis,” noting that “Iraq formed a committee from the National Security Service and the Ministry of migration and was able to check some of people wishing to return home to those who have no security suspicions.
 
"After the first migration in 2014, the largest internal displacement after ISIS entered, the number of displaced persons reached 850,000 families in nearly 170 camps, and after the government's efforts we were able to close 50 camps and only 26 camps remained in the Kurdistan region," he said.
 
 
"There are many after the recent migration, including those who have arrived in Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, and some may not have been covered by the conditions for asylum, with 50,000 Iraqis in Germany and 30,000 in Germany," he said, adding that "The ministry visited Berlin to return Iraqis and motivate them to return, and the European Union encouraged Iraqis to return without forcing the.”