Sixteen Iraqi citizens are currently being tried in Tunisia after being arrested for attempting to migrate to Europe, according to Iraq’s Foreign Ministry. This case is the first of its kind since Tunisia lifted its visa requirement for Iraqi travellers.
The group, which includes 14 individuals from Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region, had entered Tunisia with the intention of continuing their journey to Europe. Iraqi Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Omar Al-Barzanji confirmed on Sunday that the 16 Iraqis are expected to be released soon, noting that they had been misled into believing they could reach Europe through Tunisia.
“These people were deceived and believed they would reach Europe. Even if they receive a sentence they will be immediately released, because their sentence will be for one month and they have been detained for more than a month,” Al-Barzanji stated.
He also revealed that two other groups of Iraqis from the Kurdistan region had been recently arrested in Tunisia, with ten of them having been released.
Al-Barzanji expressed concern that using Tunisia as a gateway for illegal migration could jeopardise the visa-free agreement between Iraq and Tunisia.