SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraq has repatriated 370 Iraqis from the Belarus border with Lithuania, the Iraqi foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
The federal government last week announced the suspension of flights to Belarus to stem the flow and “protect Iraqi citizens who have been victims of smuggling networks”.
Spokesman for the Iraqi foreign ministry Ahmed al-Sahaf told AFP a special flight returned to Baghdad from Minsk on Tuesday night with 240 Iraqis on board.
As many as 130 others were flown back home the day after, AFP cited him as saying.
Additional flights will be laid to return more Iraqis stranded on the Belarus border with EU member Lithuania, Sahaf added.
But their number was unknown “because the border is very long”, he told AFP.
On Tuesday, the European Union reported a “significant decrease” in migrants crossing the border from Belarus since Iraq halted the regular Baghdad-Minsk flights.
Lithuania accuses Belarusian authorities of funneling migrants to its border in retaliation for EU sanctions.
The sanctions have been imposed over President Alexander Lukashenko’s crackdown on the opposition and protesters in the wake of a disputed ballot.
Parliament in Lithuania has passed a law giving the green light to the construction of a fence along its border with Belarus.
Lithuania, which has offered strong support and refuge to the Belarusian opposition, began turning back migrants this week, after more than 4,000 people entered the country from Belarus since the start of the year.
EU ministers are to hold crisis talks on the migration influx issue next week.
