Article “Why so many Kurds are leaving Iraq’s KRG?”

Date of publication: December 2, 2021

Tomáš Kaválek from Prague Centre for Middle East Relations (PCMR) of CEVRO Institute published an article “Why so many Kurds are leaving Iraq’s KRG?” for Zenith magazine exploring migration push factors from Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraqi Kurds are among many illegal migrants stranded on Poland-Belarus border.

Since the summer of 2021, many have picked the ‘Belarus’ route trying to cross chiefly to Poland. While it is hard to pin-point the precise number of migrants seeking to cross the Belarus-Polish border, a significant number of people come from Iraq and from the kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). According to officials’ statement up to 8 thousand people are coming from the KRI. The KRI has often been lauded as the island of stability, security and prosperity in an otherwise troubled country. But why do so many people seek to leave, even at tremendous financial costs and risk to their lives?