The first forced deportation of Iraqi Kurds from the UK to Iraq took place on November 19th. 15 men were taken to an airport at night, handcuffed, beaten and forced onto a military plane headed for Arbil in northern Iraq. One man, Karwan told us: “I was taken onto the plane like an animal not a human”. After they were dumped at Arbil airport, three of them were arrested by local police. We have not heard from them since.

In Sheffield during November, around 200 Iraqi Kurds were evicted from their accommodation by order of the Home Office. Many live with no state support and are not allowed to work. They are afraid to follow Home Office rules to report to police stations: when Karwan reported to Dallas Court in Bolton for an “interview” he was held and deported. This is called kidnapping.

The UK Government is the first in Europe to order forced deportations to Iraq. The UK Home Office is alone in claiming that northern Iraq is “safe”. If Iraq is safe then why does the Government need to evict, starve, kidnap and beat Iraqi Kurds into returning?

Let's demonstrate from all the north of England on December 17th.