Iraq flew migrants back to Baghdad in the first repatriation flight

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced that it organized the first repatriation flight for its citizens this morning, Thursday, for its citizens stuck on the Poland-Belarus border on a "voluntary" basis.

The flight headed from Baghdad International Airport to Minsk Airport.

Abbas Omran, the Iraqi Airways General Manager, said, by the directives of the Minister of Transport, Captain Nasser Hussein Bandar Al-Shibli, an exceptional flight was flown to evacuate the Iraqis after taking the approvals from the Iraqi and Belarusian higher authorities.

He added that all the critical needs were secured since the arrivals suffered from difficult conditions.

Migrants have been trying to cross from Belarus to Poland for months, but the crisis reached a new level when hundreds made a concerted attempt to be pushed back by Polish border guards.

Meanwhile, Ankara banned Syrians, Iraqis, and Yemenis from traveling from Turkish airports to Belarus due to the refugee crisis.

It is worth noting that Iraq has suspended "until further notice" flights between Baghdad and Minsk.