The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees now estimates there to be more than 40 people heldin Colnbrook and Brook House immigration detention centres with deportationtickets informing them they will be removed to Iraq.   

The UK Border Agency does notrelease the exact time or date to detainees or their legal representatives but peoplehave been told by solicitors and guards that the flight will be tomorrow.

Yousuf, being held in Brook House,says:

‘ Iraq’s not safe for me.  I am Shia’a and a Sunni group is afterme.  The same group has killed both mybrothers and now they’re after me.  Thegovernment here won’t let me work, and then they give me just £35 a week tolive on, but I’ve got friends here and I’m safe.  Why would they send me back?’   

Hussein, who has also been given adeportation ticket says:

‘I’m from Baghdad. I’m a Sunni - I have a big problem with a Shia’a party.  They’ve used their influence to imprison mybrother and they’re looking for me.  IfI’m deported there I know 100% I’m going to be killed.’

A statement from the InternationalFederation of Iraqi Refugees says:

‘the government is forcing peopleback to a country devastated by a war it started.  They are trying to keep this secret – eventhe people they want to deport have not been told where they will be sent backto or when.  Gordon Brown and AlanJohnson will have blood on their hands.  Wecall on everybody to resist these deportations in any way they can.’ 

A protest has been called by the International Federation ofIraqi Refugees and the Stop Deportation Network tomorrow at 5pm outsideCommunications House reporting centre, next to Old Street underground, where many peopleare arrested when signing on.

A statement has been released condemning the deportationsand individuals, signed by groups and organizations.  Please find it at www.stopdeportation.net

(Ends)

Contact: 07824 996724

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Notesfor editors

1.The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees campaigns for the rights ofIraqi refugees and against forcible deportations.  It is a member of the Coalitions to StopDeportations to Iraq(www.csdiraq.com)

2. The flight is being planned after the United Nations HighCommission for Refugees (UNHCR) has seriously criticised Denmark and Swedenfor the way in which the two countries return people to Iraq.  According to the UNHCR, the repatriationsviolate the cornerstone of the United Nations Convention on Refugees - itsarticle on non-refoulement (http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/article783911.ece)

3. At least four million Iraqis have been forced toflee either to another part of Iraqor abroad since the war began in 2003’http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/07/29/oxfam-report.html

4. As the government seeksto increase the number and frequency of deportations, it has started toincreasingly use specially chartered flights to deport as many as 80 people ata time. In 2008 alone, there were 66 such flights, deporting a total of 1,529people

5. This week’s flight isthe first to southern Iraq.  According to Home Office figures, 632 people wereforcibly deported to the KRG region in the north between 2005 and 2008. TheInternational Federation of Iraqi Refugees estimates that the figure, with themonthly charter flights deporting 50 people at a time since the beginning of2009, currently stand at approximately 900

6 Asrecently as the 11^th of October three car bombs exploded in thewestern Iraqi city of Ramadi and killed 19 people. Violence and bloodshed continuein Iraq,which saw 1,891 civilian deaths in the first six months of this year.There are also widespread food shortages and lack of access to clean drinkingwater in many areas of Iraq(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7856618.stm)

7. Deportation charterflights limit refugees’ access to due legal process. The UK Border Agency'sEnforcement Instructions and Guidance states that: "charter flights may besubject to different arrangements where it is considered appropriate because ofthe complexities, practicalities and costs of arranging an operation." Deporteesand their representatives are not even told the date of the flight. On the dayof the flight, they are woken up early in the morning and forced to switch offtheir phones so they are unable to instruct their solicitors to submitlast-minute appeals.  More details can befound in the Stop Deportation network briefing: http://stopdeportation.net/node/1

8. To operate a charterflight, the Home Office contracts a range of private companies. Airlines thatare known to have been used include Hamburg International and Czech Airlines.Bus companies to drive people from detention to the airport have included WHTours and Woodcock coaches. Private security companies used to escort deporteesinclude Group 4 Securicor and SERCO

9. Standard practice oncharter flights, confirmed by people who have been deported, is for eachdeportee to be shadowed by at least two security guards, handcuffed and forcedonto the plane under the threat of violence. Any disobedience or attempt toresist has been met with disproportionate force to 'restrain' the deportees. Amass deportation flight to Iraqi Kurdistan in September 2008 saw deportees whotried to leave the plane beaten by the security guards, with one man's head hitagainst a window of the plane smashing it. The flight was cancelled

10. For more details on previousdeportation charter flights to the KRG, see:
http://csdiraq.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1&limit=5&limit...
http://csdiraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=1
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3208
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/30/immigrationpolicy.immigra...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/12/asylum-seekers-kurds