The First Batch of Iraqi Migrants Stuck in Poland-Belarus Border Arrive Home

Hundreds of Iraqis, who were stuck in the Poland-Belarus border, arrived in the Kurdish city of Erbil after they failed to reach the European Union. The repatriation came after the Iraqi Ministry of Transport sent a plane to the capital of Belarus -Minsk to return 431 migrants to Erbil, most of which were Iraqi Kurds. From his part, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Masrour Barzani asserted Kurdistan’s government’s willingness to help in repatriating Iraqi migrants stuck in the borders. In a press conference held at Erbil International Airport, KRG Spokesperson Jotiar Adel illustrated that the major motive behind migration is to get residency in Europe as he denied claims about migrants being subjected to political and security pressures. One of the migrants stressed out the brutal treatment they were subjected to by border guards, not to mention freezing cold. Furthermore, a local association spokesperson confirmed their keenness to follow up with migrants while seeking to offer favorable conditions for those who returned in terms of finding job opportunities.