Youths gather late Monday night in Zhrawa, part of the Raparin Autonomous Administration in Sulaymaniyah governorate, to protest the seizure of their passports by local security forces.
Sulaymaniyah
Youth in Sulaymaniyah’s Zhrawa protest passport seizures amid rising migration to Europe
RAPARIN — Young people in Zhrawa, part of the Raparin Autonomous Administration in Sulaymaniyah governorate, staged a protest Monday night after local security forces seized the passports of those planning to migrate to Europe and seek asylum, a source familiar with the situation told 964media.
The source, who requested anonymity, said protesters blocked the main road linking Rania and Qaladze in response to what they described as interference with their travel plans. “The Asayish [security force] seized many passports from young people who had applied for visas,” the source said. “They’re trying to prevent them from leaving.”
According to local sources, four men working as intermediaries were arrested earlier while in possession of the seized passports. All four were released Tuesday morning on bail of 2 million Iraqi dinars (approximately $1,430) each, on the condition that they stop assisting others with migration. The confiscated passports were returned.
The men had reportedly been operating like a travel agency, helping young people obtain Turkish visas and later Libyan visas. Once in Libya, the individuals would attempt to reach Italy by sea with the help of human smugglers.
Asayish did not respond to a request for comment. However, an official from the Raparin Autonomous Administration told 964media that the arrests were made as a deterrent. “Although the Kurdistan Region doesn’t have a specific law against facilitating illegal migration, they were detained as a measure to curb the migration flow, which has increasingly burdened the administration,” the official said.
A relative of one young man involved said the crackdown had imposed significant financial losses. “Each person has spent between $1,800 and $2,500 to obtain a visa. If they’re blocked from traveling, they lose everything,” he said.
The Kurdistan Region lacks a legal framework that explicitly criminalizes facilitating irregular migration, which limits authorities’ ability to pursue formal prosecutions.
Ahmed Hassan, head of the Raparin Youth Organization, said more than 10 young people are leaving the administration each day in hopes of reaching Europe. “Just last night, 70 young people left from Qaladze, and next week 150 more are scheduled to go,” he said.
He also warned of the dangers migrants face along the route. Hassan cited the case of a young Kurdish girl whose body was recently returned, stating that an autopsy found “broken ribs, missing heart and liver, and organs harvested for trafficking.”
Many Iraqi Kurds seeking asylum in the European Union begin by securing legal visas to Turkey. Some later travel to Libya, where they attempt to cross the Mediterranean by boat. The Libya-Italy route remains one of the deadliest for migrants from Iraq and elsewhere.
The protest follows mounting pressure from European governments on both the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Governments to reduce irregular migration. In January 2024, the KRG Ministry of Interior pledged to launch a counseling center to raise awareness about the dangers of irregular migration and discourage reliance on smugglers. The initiative is supported by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and funded by Norway’s Migration Foundation.
