03 May 2024,   02:57
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Belarus: Iraqi migrants caught in border tensions fly home

A flight to Iraq took off from Minsk on Thursday to repatriate hundreds of migrants who had found themselves stranded at the Belarusian-Polish border, Minsk airport said, writes Euronews.

There were 374 Iraqi migrants on board, Belarusian presidency spokeswoman Natalya Eismont said.

In recent days, Iraq has appealed for its citizens to fly home, telling them the way into the EU is closed.

A total of 430 Iraqis have registered for flights home, according to Iraq’s consul in Russia, Majid al-Kilani.

Meanwhile, state-run Belarusian media reported that there were no more migrants left in the makeshift camps near the Polish frontier after authorities opened a heated warehouse for them to shelter from the cold. This could not immediately be verified.

The moves mark a de-escalation in the migrant crisis opposing Belarus against the European Union.

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