Kurdistan Region to bring home bodies of 40 migrants from Italy

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Thursday, August 1, 2024, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani ordered the return of the bodies of 40 Kurdish migrants from Italy to Erbil. The transfer is scheduled to take place on Friday, August 2.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) representation in Italy, led by Rezan Mohammed Salih, has been working closely with Italian authorities to locate and identify the victims of a tragic migrant boat accident.

The operation has so far identified 13 Kurdish nationals among the deceased. Of these, eight are from Southern Kurdistan (Bashur), and five from Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhelat).

The identified victims whose bodies will be repatriated are:

- Hazhar Mohammed Ahmad
- Dariaz Aram Omar Osman
- Palewan Omar Awla
- Miran Qadir Ahmad
- Nilam Hawkar Musa
- Aram Abdulrahman Hamad
- Khunche Mala Nabi
- Milan Haji Kheder
- Hadith Zanjeeri
- Makan Najafia Najafri
- Moein Alipour
- Peshawa Darwish
- Pezhman Nazmara

Prime Minister Barzani has been actively overseeing the efforts to ensure the return of the deceased migrants.

Following the boat capsizing in Italian waters on June 17, 2024, which led to numerous fatalities and missing persons, the KRG has been in constant contact with relevant parties to address the situation.

Read More: Italian coast guards recover nine more bodies

The KRG Foreign Relations Office confirmed that a dedicated team has been dispatched to Italy to manage the return process.

Read More: KRG delegation meets Italian Judicial Committee to investigate sunken boat incident

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani emphasized the legal and logistical efforts undertaken to resolve the situation, stating that the KRG is committed to ensuring the victims are brought back to their homeland with dignity.

Additional reporting done by Kurdistan24's correspondent in Italy Awara Hawrami