UN delegation investigates cases of detained foreign nationals in Raparin

RAPARIN — A United Nations delegation has initiated an investigation into the status of individuals smuggled into the Kurdistan Region, now detained under Article 39 of the region’s Residency Law in Sulaymaniyah’s Raparin area. The delegation’s focus is on assessing the situation of these foreign nationals who have entered the region illegally and are now facing deportation.

Rabar Hassan, spokesperson for the Raparin Police, told 964media, “So far, 39 cases have been identified involving men, women, and children who were smuggled into the region without the knowledge or permission of the Iraqi government.” He noted that among these individuals, 17 are Syrian and the rest are Afghan nationals, all apprehended for entering the region without proper documentation.

“The cases are being referred to the judiciary, where decisions will be made based on the law. These individuals will be deported back to their point of entry,” Hassan explained, adding that all had entered the region from Iran.

The ongoing deportations are contentious. In late-June, Human Rights Watch called on Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to cease their “arbitrary arrests” and “unlawful deportation” of Syrians residing in the country, particularly those with residency permits in the Kurdistan Region and registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Despite an August 2023 ruling by Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council that prohibits the deportation of Syrian refugees, these actions persist. Iraq, unlike the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which halted the granting of refugee status to Syrians arriving after 2011, has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.

Earlier this year, on May 10, Iraqi authorities announced the deportation of more than 12,000 foreign nationals due to alleged violations of residency rules. These expelled individuals originated from various Arab, Asian, and African nations.

In a notable shift, the KRG announced in April that it would stop renewing residency permit cards for Syrian nationals. According to Human Rights Watch, up to 280,000 Syrians reside in Iraq, with the majority in the Kurdistan Region.