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‘Iraqi refugees must not be coerced into putting themselves at risk’

August 5 2005

Iraqi asylum seekers are to be forced to sign up to return to Iraq despite evidence that their safety could be at risk.

Since December 2004, the Home Office has stated that there is no safe route of return to Iraq. However, it has been announced that from August 1 a ‘safe’ route will open up, flying with Iraqi Airlines to Arbil in Northern Iraq via Baghdad and Amman. If Iraqi refugees refuse to return voluntarily under this scheme, their basic support will be severed and they will become destitute.

Grave concerns still remain with regard to the safety of civilian aircraft arriving and departing from Baghdad airport. According to the US State Department, insurgents are targeting these aircraft with small arms and surface-to-air missiles, and civilian planes are not equipped with the necessary defense systems to deal with such attacks. As a result, US Government personnel remain barred from using Iraqi Airways flights. In addition, Iraqi returnees travelling overland from Arbil to other parts of the country may still have to pass through areas affected by the insurgency, which remain volatile.

Under Section 9 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2004, this policy could also affect families, who can also be made destitute if they refuse to return voluntarily. Local authorities have a legal duty under the Children Act to support dependants aged under 18, but may not be obliged to support destitute adult family members. As a consequence, children may be separated from their parents.

The decision to resume returns to Iraq goes against the advice of the United Nations refugee agency and threatens to jeopardise the success of the UK’s voluntary returns programme.

Sandy Buchan, chief executive of Refugee Action, said:

“If this route is not safe enough for US Government personnel, it is not safe enough for refugees and their families.

“This coercive policy will leave refugees from all parts of Iraq facing a stark choice between agreeing to return voluntarily or becoming destitute on the streets of Britain.

“It is true that some areas of Iraq, perhaps including Arbil, may be more settled but this is emphatically not true of several of the other major cities in Iraq. Many exiled Iraqis want to return to rebuild their country and will no doubt do so as more viable routes begin to open up. Our voluntary returns programme gives impartial advice to refugees considering return to their country of origin. We advise clients of the risks, so that they can make an informed and genuinely voluntary decision.

“However, those who, quite understandably, consider the risks to themselves and their families too great at this time should not face the penalty of destitution.”

He added:

“In our opinion this is a premature move, and it will do nothing but harm the UK’s relations with Iraqis who want to return to their country when it is safe."

ENDS

If you would like further information please contact Julia Ravenscroft, press officer at Refugee Action, on 0161 233 1956 or juliar@refugee-action.org.uk.

Notes to editors:

In a travel warning, stated as current as of August 3 2005, the United States Department of State (Bureau of Consular Affairs), states:

“There is credible information that terrorists are targeting civil aviation. Civilian and military aircraft arriving in and departing from Baghdad International Airport have been subjected to small arms and missiles. Civilian aircraft do not generally possess systems, such as
those found on military aircraft, capable of defeating man-portable,
surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS). Anyone choosing to utilize civilian
aircraft to enter or depart Iraq should be aware of this potential threat,
as well as the extremely high risk to road transportation described below.
Official U.S. Government (USG) personnel are strongly encouraged to use
U.S. military or other USG aircraft when entering and departing Iraq due
to concerns about security of civilian aircraft servicing Iraq. Due to
safety and security concerns, U.S. government personnel are not authorized
to travel commercially on Iraqi Airways.”

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_921.html

Under Section 9 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2004, asylum seeking families whose claims have been rejected may have all state support removed unless they sign up to return ‘voluntarily’ to their country of origin.

Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives in the UK. We provide practical advice and assistance for newly arrived asylum seekers and long-term commitment to their settlement through community development work, and received 30,000 visits from asylum seekers last year. As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has 21 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees.

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