At a Glance

• Iraqi Embassy Chargé d'Affaires confirmed officials contacted the families of missing Kurdish migrants to expedite identity checks under Red Crescent requirements.
• DNA samples have been gathered from relatives in the Kurdistan Region to aid a specialized forensic team in tracking and identifying the missing individuals.
• The Iraqi Embassy is actively coordinating its investigation with the KRG Ministry of Interior and the Department of Foreign Relations.

Ahmed al-Sahaf, Chargé d'Affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Libya, confirmed that officials have contacted the families of the missing Kurdish migrants to fulfill Iraqi and Libyan Red Crescent requirements and expedite identity verification measures.

---

Key Statements and Focus Area

• Iraqi Embassy Chargé d'Affaires al-Sahaf stated that there is coordination regarding the fate of migrants with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Interior and the Department of Foreign Relations.
• Al-Sahaf said that DNA samples have been obtained from the relatives of the migrants to assist a specialized forensic team in identifying them.

---

The Chargé d'Affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Libya revealed that continuous information sharing is underway regarding the fate of an additional group of missing migrants.

He further noted that these individuals are suspected to have entered Libya with the intention of illegally crossing into Europe.

Peshraw Abdullah, a representative of the Association of Returned Migrants, previously informed Channel8 regarding the fate of several Kurdish migrants who are feared drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, stating that since August 16, a group of 18 migrants who set off from Libya bound for Italy remain missing.

He confirmed that out of that total, 11 are from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, while the remaining seven are Ethiopian nationals.

The Chargé d'Affaires of the Iraqi Embassy told Channel8 late September that they have not yet received any official notification from the Libyan authorities regarding the drowning of these citizens.

FYI

On August 16, a smuggling vessel carrying 18 irregular migrants—11 from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (predominantly the Raparin Administration) and 7 from Ethiopia—departed from the Libyan coast bound for Italy. 

The vessel lost contact shortly after departure, sparking intense fears that the passengers drowned in the Mediterranean Sea or were intercepted 

Initial claims circulated by regional human rights activists indicated that the entire boat had capsized, causing all passengers to drown. However, the Association of Returned Migrants subsequently dismissed those drowning reports as unverified rumors, pointing out that while the Italian Navy had recovered 11 unrelated bodies at sea, the specific group of 18 remains officially unaccounted for .

Rejecting reports of drowning, grieving families in the Kurdistan Region hope their missing relatives are alive inside Libyan detention centers or held by militias. 

Dive Deeper: Handpicked Stories for You

Follow Channel8 for continuous updates:

Association of Returned Migrants Dismisses Reports of 18 Kurdish Migrant Deaths 

Association of Returned Migrants Dismisses Reports of 18 Kurdish Migrant Deaths 

Association of Returned Migrants Demands Answers Over Vanished Kurdish Citizens