From poverty to starvation: the fatal journey of an Iraqi Kurdish migrant in Libyan detention

Hogr Aso, a 22-year-old Kurdish man from the Hajiawa sub-district of Sulaimaniyah province in Iraqi Kurdistan, began his journey to Europe by flying from Erbil International Airport to Egypt on August 31, seeking to escape poverty. However, his body was recently repatriated after he died from starvation and illness in a detention centre operated by the Libyan government in Tripoli.

Hogr's father, Aso, told The New Arab his son left Kurdistan due to unemployment and despair. He said his son entered Libya from Egypt with a valid visa but was detained by Libyan border guards in Tripoli and died of starvation and illness in a detention centre on illegal migration charges. 

"My son left the Kurdistan region on 31 August and was arrested in Libya on 11 September. He spent 40 days in detention. For nearly one month after his arrest, he had no illnesses, both before and during this period. He became ill in the detention centre, developing breathing problems," the father recounted.

Thousands of Iraqi youths, particularly from Kurdistan, undertake irregular sea migration from Libya, Tunisia, Turkey, and Morocco in pursuit of improved living conditions in Europe. However, these journeys frequently result in despair and tragedy due to the hazardous nature of the routes.

Hogr's father reported that his son suffered from starvation: "Authorities gave detainees a toast every 24 hours, and sometimes inedible macaroni. Over 500 detainees shared one toilet, and the camp was cold with no carpets or heating."

Kamaran Othman, a member of Community Peacemaker Teams—Iraqi Kurdistan, stated on Facebook that Hogr was detained in Libya under severe conditions. At the same time, the Iraqi Embassy in Tripoli ignored repeated requests for assistance. Although a doctor recommended his hospitalisation, the embassy declined. Consequently, Hogr died on 21 October, ill and unattended, raising serious concerns regarding the Iraqi embassy's responsibility.

Hogr's father stated that Iraq's ambassador, Ahmed Al-Sahaf, was on annual leave in Iraq, and upon returning to Libya, arranged a flight for Hogr's return. However, by that time, Hogr's health had significantly deteriorated. When his friends requested medical care from the centre's officials, they responded, "Leave him alone, let him die; they had no humanity."

Hogr's father explained that he worked as a labourer, earning only 10,000 Iraqi dinars per day (approximately $8), of which 3,000 dinars were spent on transportation from Hajiawa to the Rania district for employment.

He also stated that the repatriation of his son's body from Libya was made possible with assistance from the Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

"There is a high unemployment rate in our area between Hajiawa and Rania. We urge the KRG to create employment opportunities for our youth, and I advise Kurdish parents not to allow their sons to undertake the dangerous journey to Libya, particularly to Tripoli, where multiple political parties are competing for power," he added.

He concluded that the KRG has reportedly initiated an investigation into his son’s death, emphasising that "Negligence by the Libyan authorities led to the death of my son."

TNA contacted Al-Sahaf for comment; however, he was unavailable to respond.

Arian Taugozi, a member of the Iraqi Parliament representing the New Generation opposition movement and the parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, told TNA that he regularly communicated with Iraqi embassy officials in Libya regarding the migrants. He reported that these officials stated they are unable to intervene in Libyan judicial matters concerning the arrest of Iraqi nationals.

He clarified that the embassy's responsibilities include appointing legal representation for detained migrants and issuing documents for those lacking passports to facilitate their return to Iraq.

Taugozi added that the embassy currently lacks the necessary resources, although it should have them, to cover the medical expenses of detained migrants who require healthcare. He expressed frustration with the embassy's performance and insisted that it should provide improved services to Iraqis globally.

"Kurdistan suffers not only from high unemployment but also restricted expression, widespread human rights abuses, and courts biased in favour of the ruling parties," Taugozi said.

Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), primarily led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), faces ongoing political and economic challenges. Under a caretaker government, the region's parties have failed to elect a parliament speaker or form a new cabinet for over a year following elections.

The KRG depends on federal payments from Baghdad to fund public employee salaries and provide services; however, salaries for September remain unpaid, resulting in economic recession and elevated unemployment, particularly among recent graduates.