Medya News: lack of human rights pushes Kurds to flee Iraqi Kurdistan

In an exclusive report sent by journalist Ako Mejid who has been following the development of the humanitarian crisis on the Belarus-Poland border for days. Mejid reported that around 2500 refugees are struggling to survive without food, water and shelter in an area with temperatures below zero during the night as gunshots are also heard in the forests where Belarus police are reportedly shooting at the people.

The Belarus police keep their presence right behind the refugees who are waiting on the border with Poland. They say there are 300 refugees, but that’s not true. I believe there are approximately 2,500 and they are now heading from Belarus to Poland. Mostly the refugees had before travelled via Minsk but were not allowed to leave. That is why many had decided to travel via Grodno and then to Poland. The Polish police have not yet physically attacked the refugees but they have used tear gas. But the approach of the Belarus police towards the refugees has been horrendous. By no means are the migrants able to go back to Belarus. Behind the refugees, the Belarus police wait and in front of the refugees, there is the Polish police, he said.

''Among the refugees, there are many families. There are around 200-250 children. The babies need milk supply and the people need food,'' he added.

Responding to a questionon the source of the Kurdish migrant wave, and why do so many Kurdish people try to cross Europe so hard that they even risk death Mecid said '' Most of the people here have fled Iraqi Kurdistan because they say they feel hopeless and blame the system the government has that has been created there.

The essential reason people tell me they are migrating from Iraqi Kurdistan is the lack of human rights, freedom and democracy, and the high rates of unemployment. There are also people, who cannot access urgent medical treatment they need in South Kurdistan, and so want to go to Europe for treatment.

This migration is the result of an anger against both of the political parties that have been in power for years. Amongst the reasons why people are migrating is lack of faith in democracy as seen in the recent elections in Iraq and South Kurdistan. Most people boycotted the elections en masse and did not even vote. This was a product of their hopeless and distrust in the government.

Since people have lost their hope for any meaningful change in South Kurdistan they have taken to the roads to Europe. People are reacting to the Bashur (South) government’s policy of increasing the prices of petrol, gas, diesel, bread, water and electricity. As prices increase, unemployment rises and salaries are not paid. One of the major reasons of the migration is widespread unemployment. Most of the youth study in a college, but after they graduate they cannot find a job, that’s why they want to travel to Europe.

Regarding the approach adopted by the police Mecid said '' there are some people wounded. Those who tried to cross the barbed wire fences to cross into Poland were tear gased. A few days ago, the Belarus police physically attacked the refugees, they stole people’s mobile phones and confiscated their money. They also attacked them with the police dogs. But the Polish police has not yet physically attacked the people. But they did use tear gas against those who tried to cross the barbed wire border fences.

Source Medya News