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REFUGEE ACTION URGES THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO REMOVE PEOPLE TO CENTRAL IRAQ AT THIS TIME

Tuesday November 23rd 2010

Refugee Action today urged the government to stop forcibly removing refused asylum seekers to central Iraq after the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have expressed serious concern about the security situation in Baghdad.

The charity is extremely concerned about reports that Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt told the BBC that Iraq was now considered safe for people to return to.

This comes after the European Court of Human Rights wrote to the government to announce that it is applying 'Rule 39' to any Iraqi asylum seeker challenging their deportation, meaning Iraqis would be allowed to stay in the UK at least temporarily.

UNHCR has also objected to the policy of returning refused asylum seekers to central Iraq, saying it is not safe to do so.

Yemane Tsegai, acting Chief Executive for Refugee Action, said: "We urge the government to work with UNHCR to ensure that people are only returned to Iraq when it is absolutely safe to do so. Many Iraqis that we work with are terrified of return and fear that the ongoing violence and insurgency in the central region means that their lives will still be in serious danger.

"The Foreign Office's own travel advice currently states that 'throughout Iraq the situation remains highly dangerous with a continuing threat of terrorism throughout the country'." We urge Alistair Burt and his colleagues to think again about the safety of deportees at this time."

ENDS

For more information or an interview please contact Julia Ravenscroft, Press Officer at Refugee Action, on 0161 831 5454 / 07771 748 159.

Notes to editors:

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 28 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees.