The 430 migrants, who have decided to return to Iraq, are to be evacuated by a special plane today. The footage from the airport was shared on the Twitter account of Franak Viacorka, an adviser to Svitlana Tikhanouskaya. As the Belarusian oppositionist notes, thousands of foreigners still do not want to return home.
A special plane for Iraqis staying in Belarus was announced on Monday by Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed As-Sahaf. As he conveyed on November 15, the Iraqi authorities “counted 571 Iraqi citizens” who were stuck on the Polish-Belarusian border and declared their desire to return to the country.
According to the information provided by the Belarusian oppositionist Franak Vyachorka, 430 migrants have arrived at Minsk airport. The foreigners were to be transported by Lukashenko’s services.
“Regime’s security forces brought 430 migrants to the Minsk airport. They are to be repatriated to Iraq. The plane is supposed to bring them home today. Thousands are still held hostage by the regime. Not everyone wants to return,” he said.
Regime’s security forces brought 430 migrants to the Minsk airport. They are to be repatriated to Iraq. The plane is supposed to bring them home today. Thousands are still held hostage by the regime. Not everyone wants to return. pic.twitter.com/FxtqS1O83J
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) November 18, 2021
Late last week, the Iraqi government conveyed that it is offering voluntary repatriation to Iraqis at the Polish-Belarusian border and is willing to arrange more than one flight for its citizens who wish to return to the country.
Iraq had already sent its diplomats from Moscow and Warsaw to the Polish-Belarusian border and closed the Belarusian consulates in Irbil and Baghdad, where tourist visas were issued to Iraqis.