The British Armed Forces Federation continues to support the campaign on behalf of Iraqis who are now in danger as a result of having worked alongside British forces or diplomats. Our support has been at the urgent request of serving BAFF members, along with ex-service members who have relied on local staff while on operations.
Has your MP signed EDM 401, a House of Commons 'Early Day Motion' initiated by Lynne Featherstone MP?
That this House recognises the courage of Iraqis who have worked alongside British troops and diplomats in southern Iraq, often saving British lives; notes that many such Iraqis have been targeted for murder by Iraqi militias in Basra, and that an unknown number have already been killed, whilst many others are in hiding; further recognises that many Iraqis who have worked for fewer than 12 months for the UK are threatened by death squads; and therefore calls upon the Prime Minister to meet the UK's moral obligations by offering resettlement to all Iraqis who are threatened with death for the "crime" of helping British troops and diplomats.
Ask your MP to sign the EDM if they haven't already. You can check here to see who has signed it: House of Commons - EDM 401
- BAFF obtained advice for the campaigners on a legal question;
- We supplied information on previous situations in which British forces personnel had successfully taken steps to protect local staff;
- From colleagues in Denmark, we obtained valuable information which has been put to good use by British campaigners and media.
Eadar-theangairean Iraqi a' faighinn comraich san Danmhairg...
BBC Scotland's weekly Gaelic-language TV magazine 'Eorpa' ('Europe') had a piece on 13 December 2007 about Iraqi interpreters being given asylum in Denmark. Along with interviews with former local staff, a Danish military spokesman emphasises the vital importance of interpreters in post-conflict operations, and a People's Party MP explains why his party decided to make an exception to their anti-immigration stance for these Iraqis.
external links
- WeOweItToThem - campaigning site
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office - Iraq Locally Engaged Staff Assistance Scheme - original link no longer available on FCO website
- Operational Updates - An overview of UNHCR's plans and strategies in Iraq and the region
- Iraqis interpreting 'betrayal' - report from Basra by Panorama's Jane Corbin
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Hundreds of Iraqi interpreters denied chance to live in UK - from The Times, 9 Jan 2008
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Interpreters used by British Army 'hunted down' by Iraqi death squads - The Independent, 17 November 2006