The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
884.
The MOU was
signed in January 2005 by the Ministry of Displacement
and
Migration,
on behalf of the IIG, and the Home Office.559
885.
Notwithstanding
the signature of the MOU, discussions continued between
the
UK
Government and the IIG on the implementation of an enforced return
programme.560
The IIG’s
concerns included the impact of returnees within the KRZ and the
package of
assistance
provided to returnees.
886.
Mr Tim
Torlot, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy Baghdad,
called
on Prime
Minister Ibrahim Ja’afari on 4 August. Mr Torlot reported to
the FCO that
Prime
Minister Ja’afari had agreed that Iraq should abide by the terms of
the MOU,
and to
instruct the Minister of Displacement and Migration to accept
enforced returns.
Prime
Minister Ja’afari hoped that the UK would consider substantially
increasing the
assistance
provided to returnees.
887.
The UK planned
to operate the first flight carrying enforced returnees
on
888.
Mr Charles
Clarke, who had succeeded Mr Blunkett as Home Secretary,
wrote
to
Mr Blair on 25 August to confirm that he had postponed that
flight, due to opposition
from the
KRG and a concern that the RAF aircraft carrying the returnees
would be a
target for
insurgent activity.562
889.
President
Jalal Talabani and Mr Blair met at 10 Downing Street on 6
October.563
Mr Blair
said that he attached great importance to early progress on the
issue of
enforced
returns, and said that it would be helpful if President Talabani
took a personal
interest.
890.
Mr Straw
was advised on 17 November that the KRG had, following
Ministerial
pressure,
finally agreed to accept enforced returnees.564
891.
The first
flight of enforced returnees, comprising 15 failed asylum seekers,
took
place on 20
November, landing in Erbil.565
892.
Mr Clarke
reported to Mr Blair on 25 November that the UK had not
received
“the
expected legal challenge” to the returns on the grounds that Iraq
was an unsuitable
destination.
559
Paper, 26
January 2005, ‘Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of
Displacement
and
Migration of the Republic of Iraq and the Home Office for the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern
Ireland’.
560
eGram
10598/05 Baghdad to FCO London, 5 August 2005, ‘Iraq: Enforced
Returns of Asylum Seekers:
Call on
Prime Minister’.
561
Minute
Clarke to Prime Minister, 25 July 2005, ‘Enforced Returns to
Iraq’.
562
Minute
Clarke to Prime Minister, 25 August 2005, ‘Enforced Returns to
Iraq’.
563
Letter
Quarrey to Siddiq, 6 October 2005, ‘Iraq: Talabani’.
564
Minute FCO
[junior official] to Straw, 17 November 2005, ‘Iraq: Enforced
Return of Failed Asylum
Seekers’.
565
Note Clarke
to Blair, 25 November 2005, ‘Enforced Returns to
Iraq’.
506