Update from Erbil airport

NCADC News Service | Sunday August 28th

Update from Erbil airport

NCADC have established contact with *WADI e. V. at Erbil airport who are monitoring the situation of forced returns of Iraqi Kurds.

Hi NCADC,
Right now I was talking again to the airport director. He told me that up to now they haven' t got any news, but he confirmed that it would be a military flight and he told me that the crew of the plane would only call the tower of Erbil airport 10 minutes before landing. He repeated that Kurdistan is member of the coalition and he said that this is why British and American government can send the plane to Iraq even if the Kurds don' t want that.

The director of the airport told me that there was a meeting this morning in which an UN-delegation, the director of the airport in Erbil/ Kurdistan and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) -coordinator of the UN participated. The director of Erbil airport told me that the KRG representative told the UN-delegation in this meeting that they don' t agree to welcome forced deportees coming from Britain or any other country. He told them that KRG can't guarantee for the security of these people because it even can't guarantee for the security of the people already living here. There are many parts in Kurdistan where life of citizens is in danger, for example around Kerkuk, Mossul, Khanakeen. He said that Un should first assist Kurdistan to develop its country by doing projects and help them to stabilize the situation in order to establish security. KRG said that Northern Iraq isn't ready to welcome forced deportees because there is no security.

After that I went to see the advisor for the UN and international organization affairs in Erbil who had participated in the meeting and who invited us to talk about the issue.

He told me that we have the permission to publish everything he told me. He is KRG-coordinator of the UN.

He said that he had told the UN-delegation that KRG doesn't want to welcome forced deportees because KRG believes that the region is not ready yet. There are many places were there isn't any security for Iraqi people, such as for example Kerkuk, Mossul, Khanakeen, but there are many other places. Mossul and Kerkuk are only the most obvious examples. He said that he himself saw some days ago 4300 people at a checkpoint! next to the city of Mossul. Those people were obliged to flee from the town of Mossul, otherwise they could be victims of terrorism. He repeated that it is the life of civilians (men, women, children) that are in danger and KRG can't guarantee the security of their lives.

He said that another problem is that KRG didn't get any information about the identity of the forced deportees that Britain wants to send to them. KRG asked Britain to do at least medical checks to avoid diseases, but Britain refused. KRG doesn't know if the forced deportees come for example from dangerous regions like Kerkuk and Mossul. Britain didn't tell any information about the identity, the background and the social origin of the forced deportees, so how can KRG agree ?

He also said that Un should first do something for the development of Iraq and help Iraq to establish security. Un should assist Iraq to create jobs, develop the! country, to give all the ordinary services (water, electricity, health centres , security, democracy, freedom ) to the Iraqi people. UN should not just bring forced deportees back to Kurdistan and just plant them in the airport. Iraq can not be considered safe. He also referred to the UNHCR document of july 16th.

Then he told me that KRG isn't in the position to refuse the landing of the plane if Britain should try to bring the people to Kurdistan. KRG got the information that Britain will try to send a plane on July 28th. He said KRG is member of the coalition forces, so they can't refuse to any British or American plane to fly or land in Iraq. If a plane comes to Erbil airport, they can' t refuse to the people to get out of the plane and they have to welcome them even if this would be a very sad situation. But he repeated that it would also be very sad for the KRG.

-He said that Kurdistan is glad that Europe and Britain helped them in the past. They would like to keep t! his friendship and they would like to welcome many foreign development projects and also foreigners in Kurdistan. He said that i would be very sad, if Britain would brake this friendship by landing a plane with forced deportees in Kurdistan. This would be sad because this would mean that Britain doesn't respect KRG and that it would treat them like second degree partners. He said that he can't understand why they should do this, because Kurdish people and coalition have fought side by side in the war.

He also said that he thinks that UN classifies people : Why do European government such as Germany tell their citizens not to go to Northern Iraq by saying that there is no security in Iraq and why don' t they encourage organizations to make development projects in Iraq, but say that Iraq is secure for forced Iraqi deportees? Does this mean that Iraq is secure for Iraqi people , but insecure for non-Iraqis? The! y treat those forced deportees not as human beings.

- he asks UN to do first development projects and to help Iraq. In his opinion it is very important that UN establishes decentralization, also in the domain of security

Sandra,
For WADI e. V. Erbil Airport, Sunday 28th August 12.36 Greenwich meantime

*WADI e. V. Herborner Str. 62
D-60439 Frankfurt a. M.
Tel: ++49-69-57002440, Fax: 57002444
email:

www.wadinet.de

National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC)
1 Delaunays Road
Manchester
M8 4QS
General enquiries 0121 554 6947
ncadc@ncadc.org.uk
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/

		Druckversion
	NCADC News Service \| Sunday August 28th Update from Erbil airport *NCADC have established contact with WADI e. V. at Erbil airport who are monitoring the situation of forced returns of Iraqi Kurds.** Hi NCADC, Right now I was talking again to the airport director. He told me that up to now they haven' t got any news, but he confirmed that it would be a military flight and he told me that the crew of the plane would only call the tower of Erbil airport 10 minutes before landing. He repeated that Kurdistan is member of the coalition and he said that this is why British and American government can send the plane to Iraq even if the Kurds don' t want that. The director of the airport told me that there was a meeting this morning in which an UN-delegation, the director of the airport in Erbil/ Kurdistan and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) -coordinator of the UN participated. The director of Erbil airport told me that the KRG representative told the UN-delegation in this meeting that they don' t agree to welcome forced deportees coming from Britain or any other country. He told them that KRG can't guarantee for the security of these people because it even can't guarantee for the security of the people already living here. There are many parts in Kurdistan where life of citizens is in danger, for example around Kerkuk, Mossul, Khanakeen. He said that Un should first assist Kurdistan to develop its country by doing projects and help them to stabilize the situation in order to establish security. KRG said that Northern Iraq isn't ready to welcome forced deportees because there is no security. After that I went to see the advisor for the UN and international organization affairs in Erbil who had participated in the meeting and who invited us to talk about the issue. He told me that we have the permission to publish everything he told me. He is KRG-coordinator of the UN. He said that he had told the UN-delegation that KRG doesn't want to welcome forced deportees because KRG believes that the region is not ready yet. There are many places were there isn't any security for Iraqi people, such as for example Kerkuk, Mossul, Khanakeen, but there are many other places. Mossul and Kerkuk are only the most obvious examples. He said that he himself saw some days ago 4300 people at a checkpoint! next to the city of Mossul. Those people were obliged to flee from the town of Mossul, otherwise they could be victims of terrorism. He repeated that it is the life of civilians (men, women, children) that are in danger and KRG can't guarantee the security of their lives. He said that another problem is that KRG didn't get any information about the identity of the forced deportees that Britain wants to send to them. KRG asked Britain to do at least medical checks to avoid diseases, but Britain refused. KRG doesn't know if the forced deportees come for example from dangerous regions like Kerkuk and Mossul. Britain didn't tell any information about the identity, the background and the social origin of the forced deportees, so how can KRG agree ? He also said that Un should first do something for the development of Iraq and help Iraq to establish security. Un should assist Iraq to create jobs, develop the! country, to give all the ordinary services (water, electricity, health centres , security, democracy, freedom ) to the Iraqi people. UN should not just bring forced deportees back to Kurdistan and just plant them in the airport. Iraq can not be considered safe. He also referred to the UNHCR document of july 16th. Then he told me that KRG isn't in the position to refuse the landing of the plane if Britain should try to bring the people to Kurdistan. KRG got the information that Britain will try to send a plane on July 28th. He said KRG is member of the coalition forces, so they can't refuse to any British or American plane to fly or land in Iraq. If a plane comes to Erbil airport, they can' t refuse to the people to get out of the plane and they have to welcome them even if this would be a very sad situation. But he repeated that it would also be very sad for the KRG. -He said that Kurdistan is glad that Europe and Britain helped them in the past. They would like to keep t! his friendship and they would like to welcome many foreign development projects and also foreigners in Kurdistan. He said that i would be very sad, if Britain would brake this friendship by landing a plane with forced deportees in Kurdistan. This would be sad because this would mean that Britain doesn't respect KRG and that it would treat them like second degree partners. He said that he can't understand why they should do this, because Kurdish people and coalition have fought side by side in the war. He also said that he thinks that UN classifies people : Why do European government such as Germany tell their citizens not to go to Northern Iraq by saying that there is no security in Iraq and why don' t they encourage organizations to make development projects in Iraq, but say that Iraq is secure for forced Iraqi deportees? Does this mean that Iraq is secure for Iraqi people , but insecure for non-Iraqis? The! y treat those forced deportees not as human beings. - he asks UN to do first development projects and to help Iraq. In his opinion it is very important that UN establishes decentralization, also in the domain of security Sandra, For WADI e. V. Erbil Airport, Sunday 28th August 12.36 Greenwich meantime WADI e. V. Herborner Str. 62 D-60439 Frankfurt a. M. Tel: ++49-69-57002440, Fax: 57002444 email: www.wadinet.de National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC)* 1 Delaunays Road Manchester M8 4QS General enquiries 0121 554 6947 ncadc@ncadc.org.uk http://www.ncadc.org.uk/ WADI e.V. \| tel.: (+49) 069-57002440 \| fax (+49) 069-57002444 http://www.wadinet.de \| e-mail: