Injudicious

Norway’s policy of forcibly returning Iraqi asylum seekers has attracted further criticism.

“We’re extremely concerned about Norway’s deportations. Information about the security situation in Bagdad and central areas of Iraq shows returning them is ill-advised,” Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights tells The Foreigner.

Hammarberg believes Norway and other governments in Europe – such as Sweden, who also sent Iraqi asylum seekers back in a recent deportation action – should show more respect for advice given by the UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

“You have to have extremely strong arguments for not heeding their recommendations,” he says.

Respect

According to figures from the Police Immigration Unit, Norway has forcibly deported a total of 70 illegal Iraqi asylum seekers since they signed an agreement with Iraq in May last year.

Knut Storberget, the Minister of Justice, has warned that there will be several more operations this year.

However, Hammarberg thinks Norway’s actions may create an unfortunate precedence.

“Iraq’s poorer neighbours, Jordan and Syria, have more of a right to deport asylum seekers than other rich European countries, who have very little burden when it comes to the numbers of asylum seekers. Consequently, poor countries may feel they also have to send refugees back; creating a chain effect.

“Unfortunately, the present trend of a harsher European immigration policy creates a lack of international solidarity. Countries like Norway should show more respect to their asylum seekers,” he says.