MADRID, 29 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Iraqi Refugee Commission estimates that more than 75,000 Iraqis have left the country since January 2022 and nearly 40 have drowned on their migration route, mainly to Europe.
One of the heads of the commission, Amanj Said, explained that more than half of the Iraqis who have left the country, some 38,000, are residents of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.
“From January 1 to October 1, 38 people have drowned, another 27 are missing, not to mention those detained in camps and prisons,” he told Shafaq News.
The refugee official reiterated that “all these people live in extreme conditions” and stressed that “the war between Russia and Ukraine has taken a toll on all refugees in Europe, especially with the worsening of the fuel crisis as the winter”.
Said has questioned the immigration policies of countries such as the United Kingdom, which has decided to prioritize the arrival of families rather than individuals. “Decisions like this could backfire on Iraqis abroad,” the official said.
