Under the title "Why are Kurds from Iraq fleeing to Europe?", the 24.ae site reported that Iraqi MP Sarkot Shams al-Din highlighted in the American site "National Interest" the migration of Kurds from Kurdistan, Iraq to Europe, noting that Europe is facing another humanitarian crisis on its doorstep, this time at the borders of Belarus. The European Union and the United States continue to support the Kurdistan Regional Government while remaining silent in the face of abuses of democracy and the rule of law. As before, many of the migrants waiting to cross into the European Union are from the Middle East, with a significant number being Kurds from Iraq, according to reports.
Unlike in 2015, they are not fleeing from ISIS or war, but rather from a situation characterized by political failures and neglect from their government. Europe and the United States have played a role in exacerbating the crisis.
According to recent reports, there are around five thousand migrants at the Belarusian border with Poland. Migrants have chosen Belarus because it is one of the countries that grants entry visas to Iraqis upon arrival, a change recently made by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to use the issue of migration as a weapon against the European Union, which constantly criticizes his country's human rights record. Belarus shares a long border with Poland and is considered safer for crossing into the European Union than via the Aegean Sea. In response, Poland has stationed 15,000 troops at its border to prevent these migrants from entering the country. Several migrants have died due to poor weather conditions.
**Requests for Help**
As an Iraqi MP, the writer has received dozens of phone calls from voters in his constituency asking for help for their relatives at the Belarusian border. He had previously dealt with the issue of Kurdish refugees in the opposition-held city of Azaz in Syria. There are also Kurdish refugees in Libya, among other complicated cases that are not easy to resolve. Kurdish refugees also suffer in Italian and French refugee camps. Despite all these dangers, the number of Kurdish families leaving the region continues to rise daily.
To alleviate the pressure at the Belarusian border, the Iraqi government decided in August 2021 to suspend direct flights between Iraq and Belarus and halted visa issuance for entry to Belarus. Additionally, Iraqi authorities launched an awareness campaign to explain the risks associated with illegal migration, but these steps did not deter people from trying to use alternative routes via Beirut and Istanbul. Migrants have posted videos and updates on Facebook criticizing the Kurdistan Regional Government and expressing their determination to reach Europe at any cost.
**America and Europe**
However, the European Union and the United States continue to support the Kurdistan Regional Government, preferring silence in the face of all the abuses of democracy and the rule of law. As a result, many people perceive them as partners in these violations by propping up the ruling Kurdish elite.
Many know that the United States and the European Union allow Kurdish politicians to purchase properties and businesses in the West with tens of billions of dollars obtained through corruption. Last month, when Shams al-Din ran for parliament elections again, many constituents told him they trusted him but would not vote because they believe that elections under the current ruling elite would bring no change for them. They discussed two options: either to change the current ruling parties by force or to leave the country permanently. Many of them have adopted the second option, but those who believe in the first option are increasing day by day. If there are no means to change matters peacefully, sooner or later, issues that could have been resolved at home will be handled at the gates of the European Union and the United States.
