Press Release 22 July 2008

Kurdish asylum seeker  forcibly deported to Bahgdad

Namak Ahmad father of Shawan Namek from Kirkuk reported to International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR) that his son  Shawan Namek was forcibly deported at 1 pm on 14 July 2008, by military aircraft to Bahgdad.  Namak was contacted by the Iraqi authorites infrorming him they were holding his son at Bahdad airport until they were given identity papers for Shawan.  Namek made the dangerous journey from Kirkuk to Bahgdad only to be told by the Iraqi authorities that the papers were not sufficient, and they would not release Shawan.

This is not the first time the UK Government has forcibly deported Iraqi asylum seekers.  Since 2005 approximately 500 asylum Iraqi seekers have been deported to the Kurdish region of Iraq.  However this is the first time that they have deported anyone back to Bahgdad.  This Barbaric policy must be stopped!  IFIR has received the following reports from returned asylum seekers and their families

Sirwa Nouri was 7 months pregnant when her husband was forcibly deported in April 2008.  Sirwa gave birth to a health baby pn 20 June 2008, since he was deported Sirwa has not heard from her husband.

Kadir Salin Abdullah lived in the UK for five years.  He left behind five children in Iraq.  On 20 March 2005 he gave up the fight to claim asylum in the UK and signed voluntary return papers.  Upon his return in February 2006 as his family feared he was kidnapped by the PUK and has not been heard of since.  Following his disappearance his daughter committed suicide.

Sadullah was 16 when he first arrived in the UK and lived in Peterborough for 4 years. His asylum application was refused and the Home Office told him to go home or he will be forcibly deported After 4 years living off the charity of friends, he gave up and went back. Tragically, Sadullah was killed by a car bomb in January 2007 in Kirkuk.

Many more have been forcibly deported back to Iraq but IFIR has been unable to trace them.  IFIR condemns all forcible deportations.  More than ever Iraqi asylum seekers need your support.  We call on Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and all Human and Refugee Rights organisations and Trade Unions to write letters to the UK Home Office condemning deportation to Iraq.

Please send letters of protest to:

Fax number: Fax:00442070354745

Home Secretary

2 Marsham St

London, SW1P

and copy to IFIR & csdiraq , PO Box1575, Ilford, IG1 3BZ, London, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and sarah parker:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR

CSDIRAQ _______________________________________________

POBOX1575,ILFORD IG1 3BZ ,LONDON,UK  Tel:0044 7856032991 ,  

www.csdiraq.com