MFA: Azerbaijan repatriates 38 children from Iraqi orphanages

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Thirty-eight children - Azerbaijani citizens, who were in correctional institutions and orphanages in Iraq were repatriated to Azerbaijan on October 28, the Foreign Ministry has reported.

The children were brought back to the country thanks to coordinated and phased measures taken by the Azerbaijani government. Firstly, the location of the repatriates and their citizenship were determined. Then they were provided with documents to return to Azerbaijan and air tickets, the ministry said.

Members of the working group on the repatriation of Azerbaijani citizens from Iraq and Syria were sent to Baghdad to prepare the process of repatriation of children to Azerbaijan.

The members of the working group conducted a preliminary medical and psychological examination of the children and provided them with the necessary assistance.

The ministry stated that 38 children, accompanied by representatives of government agencies, were repatriated to Azerbaijan on a Baghdad-Istanbul-Baku flight.

To date, 288 Azerbaijani citizens, including 266 children and two women, have been repatriated from Iraq.

“The Azerbaijani government will continue to take the necessary measures to protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens in accordance with national legislation and international treaties,” the ministry stressed.