Iraqi Association appeal on Iraqi refugees

PRESS RELEASE 09 October 2007

“I lost my family. I lost my daughter. I lost my husband. I lost my house, my wellbeing, my health and my job. What is left in my life?” This is a typical reaction of Iraqi refugees who flee the violence, fear and sectarian hate in Baghdad. Said Jabbar Hasan of Iraqi Association in London.

Every month thousands of Iraqis joins the exodus of displaced and uprooted Tsunami of human wave, only to face the unknown future. Iraq’s neighbouring countries have imposed visas and other restriction to deter the fleeing people.

Today we have been contacted by a group of 12 Iraqis, men and women, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur to seek safety. But the Malaysian authority threatened them with removal to Baghdad. Beside that, the refugees told Iraqi Association that they were systematically beaten up, insulted and humiliated by the Malaysian guards. We appeal to the authority in Kuala Lumpur not to return them to Baghdad and treat them in a humane way.

“Many Iraqis use a dangerous bus trip across the bandit-ridden Anbar province of Iraq to reach Jordan and Syria, thinking that they will find protection. The desperate humanitarian situation of displaced Iraqis, including the refugees and those who remain within Iraq, has been largely ignored by the world and the media.” said Jabbar Hasan.

Email: info@iraqiassociation.org

Notes to Editors:

According to the UN, 4 million Iraqis (50,000 people a month) have fled their homes since the war began, with 2 million going to neighbouring countries and 2 million displaced within Iraq. Half of them are children.