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European governments are urged not to deport Iraqis
European governments are being urged to provide Iraqis with protection until the situation in their areas of origin allows for safe and voluntary returns.
Iraqis residing in Europe
The call comes from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which is very concerned about ongoing forced returns of Iraqi citizens to five volatile governorates of Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Salah Al-din.
A chartered flight with 61 passengers, mainly Iraqis who had been residing in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom, landed in Baghdad airport on Wednesday.
UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards says some of the Iraqis on the flight may be destined for safer areas and others may have elected to return voluntarily.
"Nonetheless, the 11 individuals we were able to interview on arrival; some originated from Baghdad, and at least one person was a Christian from Mosul, in the Governorate of Ninewa. The security situation in that Governorate remains extremely volatile. Similarly in the Baghdad Governorate, the security situation is unstable with increased attacks and several recent major security incidents."
Adrian Edwards recalls a series of coordinated attacks throughout the country last week including suicide bombs which killed over 60 people and wounded 250 others.
Ongoing violence in Iraq has resulted in large scale internal and external displacement of people with more than 1.5 Iraqis remaining displaced within the country.
Gail Walker, United Nations Radio
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