Iraq arrests ‘internationally wanted’ migrant trafficker: Ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi authorities on Thursday arrested “the most dangerous and internationally wanted” suspect in trafficking migrants to countries in the European Union, reported the Ministry of Interior.

The arrest came following a thorough investigative effort from the Iraqi Interpol in coordination with the national intelligence authority and relevant authorities in the Kurdistan Region, read a statement from the ministry.

The statement added that the suspect, wanted by one of the countries in the EU, is currently undergoing the legal process before being referred to the judiciary.

People, mostly youth, take the perilous journey away from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region through smuggling routes trying to escape an ongoing crisis grasping the Region - with high unemployment, corruption, political instability, and a fragile economy influencing their decision to depart.

The Kurdish government has acknowledged the existence of systemic issues and financial hardships but has said it is working to address these problems.

A dinghy carrying approximately 34 people, the majority of whom were Kurds, drowned in the early hours of November 24, 2021 after setting off from the French coast towards Britain. Police found the bodies of 28 people floating in the Channel. Two survived and four others remain missing.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) described the tragedy as the “worst disaster on record.”