KRG receives bodies of victims drowned in the English Channel
ERBIL, KRG, Iraq (North Press) – On the early hours of Sunday, bodies of those 16 persons, passed away in the English Channel were received in Erbil International Airport.
The deceased were scheduled to be repatriated to Erbil two days ago but difficult weather conditions prevented that, officials form Erbil stated.
Families of the victims have flocked to the airport since yesterday evening.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had prepared vehicles to transport the bodies to their hometowns to be buried.
The operation of repatriation of the bodies delayed for a whole month due to routine measures to recognize their identities in accordance with the Presidential Office of KRG, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Foreign Affairs Directorate, the representative body of KRG in France with the French Ministry of Justice, the police and the French detective team.
A month ago, the British authorities declared 31 migrants drowned as their dinghy deflated while they tried to cross the English Channel between France and Britain to reach the United Kingdom.
In turn, Erbil authority said human traffickers bear full responsibility of the incident.
The KRG released a statement asking the people of Kurdistan region not to be the prey of human traffickers, stressing that the human traffickers and people who trick the citizens to leave their country will be held accountable and will not flee away from the course of justice.
The French authorities managed to identify 26 migrants after their bodies were pulled from the Channel.
Over the last period, many citizens from KRG crossed borders illegally trying to reach western countries. However, most of them were stranded on Belarus-Poland border.