Iraq halts working permit of Belarus Consulate in Baghdad

By Ammar El Khalfi and Cagri Kosak

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraq announced on Friday that it is "temporarily" halting the Belarus Consulate's working permit in Baghdad amid an ongoing migration crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border.

"This step comes to protect Iraqi citizens from human smuggling networks through Russia and Poland," said Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, according to an Iraqi News Agency report.

"The Iraqi embassy in Moscow and Warsaw are coordinating Iraq's efforts for the voluntary return of those stranded on the Belarus-Poland border," according to Al-Sahhaf, who said, "Iraq has stopped direct flights between Iraq and Belarus."

According to the latest EU figures, 7,935 people tried to enter the bloc via the Belarus-EU border in 2021, up sharply from just 150 last year.

Polish authorities stepped up border protection Monday and mobilized more than 12,000 troops after a large group of migrants started marching toward the country's frontier with Belarus accompanied by the Belarusian military.

*Writing and contribution by Merve Aydogan in Ankara