No more ‘Ethnic Charter Flights’ to Iraq

by hakmao, 8 April 2008

This is for London readers — especially those who thought that on balance, the removal of Saddam Hussein would be of net benefit to humanity, and consequently should take an even closer interest in the fate of Kurdish and Iraqi asylum seekers — but anyone with a shred of empathy for fellow human beings should attend. Conveniently, it’s even in your Friday-extended lunch hour, so you don’t have any excuse for not going along to lend your support.

Demonstrate Friday 11th April 2008

12:00 to 14:00

Home Office

2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

On Thursday 27th March 2008 a number of refused asylum seekers from Iraq were forcibly returned by ‘Ethnic Charter Flight’ to Kurdistan/Iraq. Exact details of numbers on the flight are not known but some of those to be removed that day were not and returned to various IRC’s. Those returned are still facing removal, one of those is Yousuf Ahmed Ibrahim who is due to be removed on Wednesday 23rd April by Royal Jordanian Airlines.

The demonstration will be calling for:

  1. Immediate stop to the forced removal of Kurdish asylum seekers and cessation of all kind of pressure on Kurdish asylum seekers
  2. Formally recognise Kurdish and Iraqi asylum seekers as victims of war and grant them the right to asylum
  3. Release Kurdish asylum seekers from immigration removal centres

Organised by: International Federation of Iraqi Refugees (IFIR), Kurdish Culture Centre KCC, Kurdistan Refugee Women’s Organisation.(KRWO),CHAK, Kurdistan Forum, Federation of Iraqi Refugees in Nottingham, Kurdish Project Art Centre, Wolverhampton Kurdish Community Association, Kurdish Culture Centre- Kirklees. Federation of Iraqi Refugees in Leicester, Kurdish Syrian and British Friendship -Leeds Kurdish Community, Kurdish Communities Federation-Kirklees, Kurdish Women’s Organisation- Kirklees, Re-live Magazine, Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq

Supported by: John McDonnell MP, Jean Lambert MEP, Doug Holton from Stop Deporting Children, Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, No Sweat, George Binette & Liz Leicester International officers of the Camden branch of UNISON, Estella Schmid from peace in Kurdistan Campaign & CAMPACC.

International Federation of Iraqi Refugees

NCADC News Service