Secretary-General Commends Peaceful Transfer of Nearly 2,000 Iraqis from Camp New

Iraq to Camp Hurriya, towards Ultimate Goal of Refugees’ Safe Resettlement

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General continues to follow closely the issue of Camp New Iraq (formerly Camp Ashraf).  He expresses his appreciation to the Government of Iraq for the spirit of cooperation it has shown over the past months, which has resulted in the peaceful transfer of 1,935 residents to the temporary transit location, Camp Hurriya.   He thanks the residents of Camp New Iraq for having cooperated in the first moves.   He urges both sides to continue to work constructively in this regard with a view to peacefully concluding the transfer of the remaining residents as soon as possible.

The Secretary-General urges the residents of Camp New Iraq to cooperate with the Government of Iraq and fully abide by the laws of the country.  He also urges the residents to earnestly prepare for their next transfer to Camp Hurriya, without further delay.  He calls on the Government of Iraq to continue to meet its international humanitarian obligations and to exercise restraint.

The Secretary-General reiterates that violence should, at all costs, be avoided.

The Secretary-General calls again on Member States to accept for resettlement those residents who qualify as refugees.  The Secretary-General expresses his full support for the ongoing efforts by his Special Representative, Martin Kobler, to facilitate a peaceful and durable solution to the issue of Camp New Iraq, including for the purpose of safely resettling the refugees.

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For information media • not an official record