UN refugee agency examining claims that British authorities mistreated Iraqi asylum seekers
By APFriday, June 18, 2010
UN probing Britain over Iraqi mistreatment claims
GENEVA — The U.N. refugee agency says it is investigating claims by Iraqi asylum seekers that they were mistreated by British officials before being deported back to Iraq.
A spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says 14 failed asylum seekers told the agency they were beaten by U.K. border agency staff at a London airport when they were forced on a plane to be returned to Baghdad.
Andrej Mahecic says the men were among 42 rejected asylum seekers deported to Iraq on Thursday.
He said Friday that the agency met six of the Iraqis and saw fresh bruises that indicated possible mistreatment.
He says UNHCR has repeatedly said that Baghdad and Iraq’s five central provinces are not secure enough for failed asylum applicants to be sent back there.
