Foreign Ministry Announces Approvals for Return of Iraqis Stranded in Jordan and Kuwait by Land

Foreign Ministry Official Spokesmen Dr. Ahmed Al-Sahaf stated that “There are 166 Iraqi citizens who will arrive in Iraq today, Tuesday, by road from Jordan to Al-Anbar Governorate,” pointing out that “there is a preliminary approval to return Iraqis stranded in Kuwait by road to Basra and that the Ministry is in the process of completing all procedures for the purpose of returning them.”

Al-Sahaf said, “The Foreign Ministry approached the German side and the European Union mission at the end of March to remove the ban on the Iraqi national carrier to enter the European airspace to return the stranded Iraqis” noting that on 30/3/2020, Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi met the head of the European Union mission and completed discussions concerning the issue of lifting the ban with priority and interest. ”

He pointed out that “Minister of Transport Mr. Abdullah Laibi prepared an official letter on 5/4/2020, and sent it to the Foreign Ministry asking it to intervene to open the European airspace in front of the Iraqi national carrier,” noting that “the Foreign Ministry held discussions and reached an agreement with Germany and Spain for the passage of the Iraqi planes.

He added that “Iraq’s embassies in more than 40 countries are coordinating with the Foreign Ministry to provide it with the names and numbers of Iraqis who wish to return to the homeland.”
He pointed out that “the Foreign Ministry has conducted exceptional flights for Iraqi Airways to go to any country and through the Iraqi embassies, which in turn have followed Iraqi procedures and facilitated their return and accompanied them at official airports until they are brought to the plane.

He pointed out that “Iraqi embassies provide food and other assistance to Iraqi communities in various countries, including the Iraqi embassy in Jordan, which has managed to deliver aid with more than 12 tons of food supplies to Iraqi families, and has transferred more than 10 thousand and 500 pensioners from their place of residence to Rafidain Bank in Jordan for the purpose of receiving their salaries due to the curfew, “stressing that” the Iraqi embassy in Beirut distributed food supplies to the Iraqis there, as well as the embassies in Rome, Madrid, and other countries. “

Al-Sahaf pointed out that “there are three bodies of deceased Iraqis who are not infected with the Coronavirus that arrived the day before yesterday to Iraq, and the Foreign Ministry sponsored the costs of transporting, preparing, and delivering them to their families.” And concerning the deceased as a result of Coronavirus he stated that Iraq has not asked to transport any of them.

He explained that “preparing the Iraqis who returned from 42 countries to Iraq exceeds 4000 citizens,” stressing that the Ministry continues to approach other countries from the European Union to return the stranded Iraqis.”

Al-Sahaf pointed out that the Foreign Ministry undertook providing housing for Iraqis stranded at the headquarters of the Iraqi embassies in the city of Manchester and other European countries.

(A special statement to the Iraqi News Agency)