Alistair Burt welcomes peaceful transfer of Camp Ashraf residents
Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt welcomes peaceful transfer of residents from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty after appalling recent attack.
Responding to confirmation that the last residents of Camp Ashraf had reached Camp Liberty, Foreign Office Minister for Middle East and North Africa said:
I welcome the successful and peaceful transfer of the remaining residents from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty yesterday, and commend the Camp’s residents for taking this important step. I am grateful to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) for all that they have done to reach this point, and to the Government of Iraq for facilitating the move. It is important that residents, including Camp Liberty’s leadership, now engage fully with the process of resettlement to third countries, and I am grateful to the UNHCR for their ongoing efforts.
I also reiterate my utter condemnation of the appalling attack on the residents of Camp Ashraf on 1 September, which resulted in the deaths of 52 people. I strongly urge the Government of Iraq to carry out its investigation into the killings quickly and transparently. I am concerned by reports that a number of residents remain missing following the attack, and urge that all necessary measures are taken to locate missing residents. I also call again on the Government of Iraq, which is responsible for security at Camp Liberty, to take all necessary steps to ensure residents’ safety.
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