The German government has deported a second group of Kurdish migrants, sending them back to Iraq via Baghdad International Airport last week, sparking concern among officials and migrant advocates in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

According to Bakir Ali, President of the European Association of Returned Migrants in the Kurdistan Region, the group of 36 deported Kurdish migrants, including families from Duhok, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah, arrived in Baghdad on November 22. Speaking from Ranya, Ali voiced alarm over the forced returns, highlighting the challenging conditions many of the migrants had faced before their departure from Iraq.

“This is the second group of Kurdish migrants that Germany has deported through Baghdad,” Ali confirmed. “We previously appealed to the Federal Court, arguing that the Iraqi government should not accept these migrants due to the social issues many experienced before leaving Iraq.”

Ali urged the Iraqi federal government to reject any future agreements to accept forcibly deported migrants, calling for an approach similar to those taken by Turkey and Egypt, which have resisted similar agreements.

He further compared the situation to a recent European precedent: an agreement signed between Italy and Albania, which permits the detention of illegal migrants in Albania after arriving on Italian shores. Ali noted that this agreement, which has been in effect for 22 months, has subjected migrants to poor conditions and added, “Germany is now considering a similar agreement with Italy.”

Ali also cited the United Kingdom’s past attempts to deport over 118,000 migrants to Rwanda during the Conservative Party’s tenure. He explained that the UK ultimately reversed this decision when the Labour Party came to power, opting instead to grant asylum rights to 62,800 migrants.

The growing trend of deportations and international agreements concerning migrant resettlement has intensified scrutiny from human rights organizations and advocates, who call for solutions that respect migrant rights and consider the social challenges facing individuals returning to Iraq.