Finland Times

 

Iraqi asylum seekers stage demonestration and held a press conference in Helsinki on Monday urging the government to not tightening asylum application. Photo – Str / Lehtikuva.

A group of Iraqi refugees appealed to the Finnish people and government on Monday not to let the conditions for obtaining asylum become too tight.

 

The Finnish Immigration Service is expected to publish new safety assessments on Iraq and Somalia. The new guidelines are believed to hinder Iraqi applications for asylum.

 

Refugees fear that the change will especially affect future applicants from Baghdad. “If I have to return to Iraq, I will be killed, because I oppose the government. There is nowhere safe in Iraq,” said 22-year-old Ali Fahad who escaped from the city two months ago.

 

A section of the appeal signatories did not wish to be photographed for fear that it might cause difficulties for their families in Iraq.

 

According to the refugees, the Iraqi government is covering up acts of violence and claims to be safer than it is.

 

“As long as the foreign minister [Ibrahim] al-Jaafari and other politicians are not bringing their families home from Britain and other safe countries, and as long as politicians are moving around Baghdad in bullet-proof vehicles and security convoys, we can be sure of one thing: Iraq is not safe,” their appeal said.

 

The petition, drawn up by Vapaa Liikkuvuus (Freedom of Movement), criticised the Immigration Service’s intention to tighten the asylum conditions.

 

“Officials say that the assessments are in line with other Nordic countries. We feel that this is a purely political decision, related to the fact that there are now many more refugees [than before],” said Vapaa Liikkuvuus representative Aino Korvensyrjä.

 

According to the organisation, the Immigration Service should listen to refugees to prepare their safety assessments.

 

“International organisations such as the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR and Amnesty International report that the situation in Iraq is catastrophic and getting worse.”

 

The Immigration Service did not wish to comment on Monday on issues related to the safety assessments.