Migration Minister rejects forcible return of Iraqi externally-displaced refugees

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement has stressed rejection of the forcible return of Iraqis, who were displaced to outside the country as result of battles against Islamic State.

In a press release on the sidelines of meeting with Ambassador of the European Union to Iraq Patrick Simonnet and the accompanying delegation at the ministry headquarters in Baghdad, Minister of Migration and Displacement Jassim Mohammed al-Jaff said both the government and the ministry refuse the forcible return of Iraqis, whose asylum seeking requests were rejected in some countries.

Jaff added that the ministry is mulling problems of the displaced through communication with them to reach the best solutions.

Regarding the internally-displaced citizens, the minister said stressed necessity that all the authorities in question as well as international organizations be on high alert to provide the essential services for the displaced families.

Meanwhile, Simonnet highlighted the EU’s intentions to collaborate with the ministry to resolve issues that face the Iraqi displaced citizens either inside or outside of the country.

Over four million persons were displaced inside the country since the Islamic State emerged in 2014.

According to the United Nations, earlier this month, 435,000 civilians were displaced as result of the U.S.-backed Iraqi offensives against the Islamic State militants in western Mosul that started in February.