Michael de Laine

By Michael de Laine, The Copenhagen Voice, 12 June 2009

Iraq has not agreed to received Iraqis who are forced to return, the country’s foreign ministry said on Sunday. Denmark’s integration ministry maintains that its new agreement with Iraq for returning failed asylum-seekers allows the use of force “as the last resort”.

A communiqué issued on Sunday, 7 June, by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has thrown doubt on the status of the agreement between Denmark and Iraq on the return of failed Iraqi asylum-seekers.

In the communiqué, the ministry says, “The Republic of Iraq has signed number of Memorandums of understanding with friendly countries to regulate the presence of Iraqis outside and facilitate their return to their country voluntarily and not forced to return to, within a mechanism established by the state to contribute in rehabilitation of those citizens and involve them in the sectors of the society to participate in building their country.”

According to Danish daily newspaper Politiken, the Ministry for Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs has acknowledged that it is aware of the Iraqi statement but has received no information through official channels.

“We must therefore follow the repatriation agreement we have with Iraq,” said Minister for Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs Birthe Rønn Hornbech to the newspaper. “The agreement says that there is a possibility for using force as the last resort. That’s why we have the agreement. If ‘force’ was not mentioned, there would be no reason for having that agreement - they have always been able to go back home voluntarily.”

Henrik Dam Kristensen, the immigration spokesman of the Social Democrats, wants Birthe Rønn Hornbech to clarify the situation.

That the Iraq government will not accept Iraqis who are repatriated by force means that “the agreement has no meaning, so the minister must explain the text and demonstrate what is correct,” Henrik Dam Kristensen told newswire Ritzau.

But he noted that there could not be much doubt that the agreement between Denmark and Iraqi allows for the use of force - the formulation is identical with that of the Swedish agreement with Iraq, which has already resulted in forced repatriation.

“The minister must show that the agreement is valid - she must get that confirmed by the Iraqi government,” adds Henrik Dam Kristensen.

Click here to read the Politiken article, ‘Irak sår tvivl om hjemsendelser’.

Click here to read the Politiken article, ‘S ønsker afklaring fra Rønn om aftale’.

Click here to read the statement by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Click here to read the Copenhagen Voice story, ‘Nordic Council Left-Wing Socialist and Green Group expresses concern over Iraqi deportations’.