Stranded Iraqi residency holders in Syria to return to Kurdistan Region of Iraq

DERIK, Syria (North Press) – The management of Semalka border crossing, that links regions of northeastern Syria with the Kurdistan Regional Goverment of Iraq (KRG), announced on Tuesday that it will allow stranded Iraqi residence holders to return to the KRG in groups starting Wednesday.

The official Facebook account of Semalka crossing, which is located in the countryside of Derik in the far northeast of Syria, published that it will allow Iraqi residence holders from Erbil and Sulaymaniyah to return to the KRG on Wednesday and Thursday. 

The crossing management stated that new dates for residents of the rest of the region will be published after the Eid al-Adha holiday.

The crossing management stated that travellers must carry only one piece of luggage “because the transportation process will take place by private buses to their areas of residence.” 

Dozens of Iraqi residency holders, stranded as a result of the closure of the crossings, protested on Sunday at the crossing, demanding to be allowed to cross. 

The authorities in the KRG tightened the lockdown in most cities in the region during the recent period after recording high numbers of infections with the coronavirus.

On Friday, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria announced the closure of all crossings with its areas, and theot  subjecting any incoming humanitarian situation to quarantine for a period of 14 days, after recording four new cases of coronavirus infection.