More than 400 stranded migrants from Belarus-Poland border brought back to Kurdistan Region

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (GOV.KRD) - A rescue flight from Belarus is set to land at Erbil after 7:00 pm today, returning more than 400 migrants who had been stranded on the Belarus-Poland border.

Over 20,000 people attempting to enter Europe through Belarus have been stuck for over a month.

This prompted the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations and the Iraqi foreign ministry to send a plane to repatriate those wanting to return.

So far, over 460 have registered to return and the plane will carry around 430 from Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

Some have passport issues, having either lost them or their visas have expired. The Iraqi foreign ministry and the Department of Foreign Relations of the KRG sent a team from Baghdad’s embassy in Russia to tackle this.

A ministry of health team will be at the airport to give returnees free coronavirus tests and also medical aid to those suffering illness from the cold.