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(Q) The treatment received by the Iraqi Kurds in
England, where British Immigration has deported
thousands back to Iraq's Kurdistan has made Arabs
and Muslims fear the treatment waiting for them
here, whether they come from North Africa or other
Mediterranean countries?
(A) We are not
in fact deporting thousands of Kurds at present.
Some agreed to return voluntarily to Iraq's
Kurdistan. We have been saying for more than a year
that when it becomes safe to return to some parts of
Iraq, then we will send back the asylum seekers
whose applications were not accepted. We delayed the
measures to deport these to Iraq's Kurdistan for two
weeks or more for various reasons. However, we still
insist on sending back those who failed in their
appeals against the rejection of the asylum
applications even though they followed all the
available routes. We must deport them because
deportation is a positive part of the policy of
asylum and immigration that we should comply with.
(Q) But can you assure Arabs and Muslims that
they will be welcomed in Britain if they come to it?
(A) They are
most certainly welcomed. All that we are seeking is
to send back the refugees whose applications were
rejected or who are illegal immigrants in other
cases. But we welcome the legitimate asylum
applications and the legal immigration ones. We have
deeply rooted traditions in this country about
helping the needy and giving them shelter. These
traditions remain and we respect them and will not
sacrifice them. But we will be strict with anyone
who tries to harm these traditions or seeks to
exploit them in an unacceptable way. We, as a state
with a modern economy, do not have all the skills we
need, which means that we need regular and
supervised immigration so as to close these gaps. I
therefore reiterate that the Arabs and Muslims are
welcomed in full when they come through the legal
channels. This is what actually always happens.
(Q) When do you expect the negotiations that
Britain is holding at present with Muslim countries
to hand over persons wanted on terrorism charges to
end?
(A) It is
difficult to speculate about the time these
negotiations will take. But as you know, we are
holding talks with a number of countries to obtain
pledges that the rights of the persons we are
seeking to deport will be protected. Human rights
are for us an extremely important matter, as I said.
But we do not want this question to be an obstacle
that cannot be overcome in the end and hence impede
the process of sending back some persons to their
homelands. Negotiations are continuing and have
reached various stages with the concerned countries.
I cannot say more than that.
(Q) Does this mean that the ban announced by
the prime minister on Hizb ut-Tahrir and "Al-Ghuraba"
group needs new legislations?
(A) We are
examining at present this and other aspects of the
news measures. We are studying the measures
announced by the prime minister and examining all
their details for the purpose of finding the best
possible ways for applying them. In some cases, we
should hold consultations and this is very logical.
However, we are determined to apply all these
measures, including the ban on the two mentioned
organizations, in the best available ways as soon as
this becomes possible.
Asharq Al-Awsat
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