Human Rights Watch stated that Iraqi authorities in Baghdad and Erbil arbitrarily detained Syrian nationals and deported them to Damascus and northeastern Syria, noting that Iraq is violating its obligations as a state party to the United Nations Convention against Torture.
In a statement released on Thursday, the rights group said that Iraqi authorities deported many Syrians even though they possessed official Iraqi documents allowing them to stay and work in the country or to register as asylum seekers with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The organization’s statement stressed that deporting asylum seekers breaches Iraq’s obligations as a party to the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) and under the customary international law principle of nonrefoulment, that is, not to forcibly return people to countries where they face a clear risk of torture or other persecution.
The organization explained that between April 19 and 26, it spoke with seven Syrians by phone and in person in Erbil and Baghdad, four of whom were at Erbil International Airport awaiting deportation. Four others held valid Iraqi residence permits, and three of them were registered with the UNHCR.
People interviewed by the organization reported that they were arrested in raids on their workplaces or on the streets. Two said they were arrested in residence offices while trying to renew their permits. The authorities did not consider their asylum requests or provide opportunities to appeal their deportation orders.
“Iraq should immediately end its distressing campaign of arbitrary arrests and deportations of Syrians who have fled to Iraq for safety,” said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch. “By forcibly returning asylum seekers to Syria, Iraq is knowingly placing them in harm’s way.”
The organization called on the Iraqi government to consider implementing procedures to facilitate obtaining work and residence permits for people with irregular status. This includes maintaining cooperation with the UNHCR to ensure appropriate protection of refugee rights.
Human Rights Watch also called on international donor governments to “use their influence to advocate against summary deportation and refoulement, which amounts to a violation of non-refoulement obligations.”
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) condemned the arbitrary actions taken by Iraqi security authorities to detain Syrian refugees and deport them to areas controlled by the Assad regime in Syria, despite possessing documents that guarantee their right to asylum, protection, and care.
The SOC emphasized the urgent need for Iraqi authorities to reconsider these decisions and called on the United Nations and human rights organizations to intervene. They warned that these deportations greatly and directly endanger the lives of deported Syrians, who face inevitable prosecution and imprisonment in the Assad regime’s prisons. The regime criminalizes those who flee to escape missiles and barrel bombs and seek refuge in other countries for safety.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
