Kurdistan Regional Government
Representation in Italy
Today, the High Representative was invited to the Chamber of Deputies by the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee for the Oversight of the Implementation of the Schengen Agreement, for the Oversight of Europol's Activities, and for Immigration Control and Supervision, Hon. Laura Ravetto, at the proposal of Senator Riccardo Mazzoni, to hold a hearing on the topic of "Management of Migration in the Schengen Area," which the Committee is investigating with a view to developing effective tools shared by member states for better control of external and internal borders.
The Kurdistan Region, considered an oasis of peace and stability in the Middle East, has long been affected by a growing flow of migrants. Since 2003, this small territory has had to cope first with approximately 600,000 internally displaced Iraqis, then with the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, and finally with the brutal invasion of ISIS terrorists. There are currently 1,700,000 refugees and internally displaced persons in Kurdistan, a figure that reflects an unprecedented humanitarian emergency. The KRG's inclusive and non-discriminatory reception policy, free from any discrimination based on religious, cultural, ethnic, or political identity, the numerous measures adopted to support refugees,
and the sacrifices made by the Kurdish Peshmerga, alone in the fight against ISIS, are no longer sufficient to address this situation. Dr. ... Dr. Kader called on Italian institutions to proceed with the recognition of the 1988 Kurdish genocide and the current genocide against the Yazidi community, and to raise awareness among the international community about adopting a unified, shared counterterrorism strategy under the auspices of the United Nations, involving regional organizations such as NATO and the EU. From a security perspective, Dr. Kader proposed establishing a security belt to protect against ISIS attacks.
At the hearing, the parliamentarians present, including the Hon. Giorgio Brandolin, Vice President of the Schengen Committee, the Hon. Massimo Artini, Vice President of the Defense Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Senator Riccardo Mazzoni, Vice President of the Human Rights Committee of the Senate, and Dr. Maria Teresa Calabrò of the International Relations Service of the Chamber of Deputies, expressed strong interest and solidarity with the cause of the Kurdish people and the need for a united front in the fight against terrorism.