Iraq conducts first repatriation flight for citizens in Belarus

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi government will send a flight from Belarus to Iraq to bring all those who wish to "voluntarily" return to the country on Thursday, a spokesperson from the foreign ministry said. 

The flight will take off from the Belarusian capital Minsk to Baghdad on Thursday, Ahmed al-Sahaf, the spokesperson for the Iraqi foreign ministry, said during an interview with Al-Iraqiya News on Sunday night. 

The return will be "voluntarily", the spokesperson added. 

Iraq has taken numerous measures to prevent mass migration, including shutting down Belarussian diplomatic representations in Erbil and Baghdad and halting direct flights from the country to the former Soviet republic.

However, despite these measures, migrants were still able to fly to the Eastern European country through Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, according to the official. He added that Iraq could not prevent its citizens from flying to Belarus via those third countries. 

Belarus will stop flights of Iraqis, Afghans, Syrians, and Yemenis originating from the UAE, AFP reported on Monday.

Previously, Turkey halted flights of Iraqi, Yemeni, and Syrian citizens to Belarus. 

On Sunday, the Kurdistan Region's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said that the migrants "have been deceived by traffickers; exploited by networks abroad," adding he is working with the Region's partners to facilitate their safe return. 

Read More: PM Masrour Barzani says 'concerned' by 'plight' of Kurds stuck on EU borders

Thousands of Iraqi migrants are stuck on the Polish and Belarusian border trying to cross westward into Europe.