Al-Sulaymaniyah launches the "National Expat" project to aid returning migrants
Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday launched a new project aimed at providing assistance to migrants seeking to return to their hometowns in the governorate of al-Sulaymaniyah.
The project, held in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), offers a range of services to returning migrants, including help with obtaining residency permits, finding employment, and accessing education for their children.
Speaking at a press conference in al-Sulaimaniyah, Lanja Shahab Karim, head of the KRG's Ministry of Migration's Crisis Response Department, said the project was designed to "facilitate the return and integration of our diaspora community."
"We want to make it as easy as possible for our expats to come home and rebuild their lives," she said.
The project is being implemented in partnership with several international organizations, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Haval Abu Bakr, governor of al-Sulaymaniyah, welcomed the launch of the project, saying it would "contribute to creating a conducive environment for the return of our expats."
"The local government will provide all necessary facilities to ensure the success of this project," he said.
Often described as a beacon of peace after the war on the Islamic state, the Kurdistan Region has increasingly come under threat from Turkiye's increased presence, Iranian attacks, and tumultuous relations with the federal government. Amidst these tensions, Kurdish migrants fleeing the region has seen a sharp increase in the last decade. In November 2021, they made up the bulk of those attempting to enter the European Union by crossing the border from Belorussia to Poland. In December of the same year, international media talked at lengths of multiple dinghies sinking in the channel, resulting in the death of 26 migrants, 16 of them from Iraqi Kurdistan.
In 2022, when the UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel announced her controversial Rwanda Plan, Iraqi Kurdish migrants were the first ones chosen to be sent off to the African nation by plane. This led to the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Masrour Barzani, holding talks with Patel during a visit to London on the subject.
