The Netherlands is no safe haven for Iraqi asylum seekers. The Dutch government plans to repatriate them, saying Baghdad is no longer really dangerous. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against collective expulsions, saying each case has to be judged on its merits.

Three individuals tell their stories: Zaid Al-Hilli (28) faces the threat of being sent back to Baghdad. Ali Mahdi (36) and Zaid Mohan (33) have already been repatriated to Iraq. Mr Mohan is already on his way back to the Netherlands.

By Klaas den Tek and Chaalan Charif

In June, Zaid Al-Hilli received a letter from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Department (IND). Bad news: his residence permit was going to be rescinded. Baghdad, where he comes from, was safe enough for him to return. His residence permit was eventually rescinded in October.

Mr al-Hilli could not believe his eyes: “I’m broken. I can hardly concentrate on my studies any more. Baghdad will be the death of me. I was a journalist and it’s not safe there for people of my profession. You can read it in all the reports. A colleague was murdered there only a month ago.”

Evidence
Mr al-Hilli has lived in the Netherlands since 2008. He speaks Dutch and is studying at the Technical University in Delft. In Baghdad, he worked with his brother for a multimedia company, Iraqi Media Network. They were shot at from a car in 2006 but escaped the attack unharmed. Two days later, they received a threatening letter from a terrorist group. That was when Mr al-Hilli decided to leave for Syria. However, once there, he discovered he would not be able to stay and decided to travel on to Europe.

When he arrived, the Dutch immigration authorities didn’t believe his story. He gave them a statement from his employer and a press card as evidence. He also produced various Iraqi documents to prove his identity. The IND ruled the evidence insufficient. However, an appeals court earlier ruled that the IND's arguments for rescinding his brother's residence permit were inadequate. 

At risk
An emotional Mr al-Hilli said: “The IND don’t seem willing to listen properly to my story. I have the impression they just want to send all the refugees back to Iraq, whether or not you come to the Netherlands with evidence and official documents. And yet the UN’s refugee organisation, the UNHCR, says journalists are at risk of being killed in Iraq.”

It remains unclear whether Iraqi asylum seekers such as Mr al-Hilli will be repatriated in the near future. Immigration Minister Geerd Leers says each case is now being decided individually. Mr al-Hilli is appealing against the IND’s ruling. It's his last chance.

Smuggled
Ali Mahdi (36) en Zaid Mohan (33) have been repatriated to Iraq before. Mr Mahdi was a sports teacher in a Sunni neighbourhood in Baghdad. He left in 2006 after he had been threatened by local Shiite militias. He ended up being smuggled into the Netherlands in 2008. Mr Mohan comes from Sadr City, the major Shiite area of Baghdad.

Both men were at first granted temporary residence permits. These were rescinded in 2010, because it was said that parts of Iraq were safe enough for people to return. The two men were put on a flight with 35 other people from Rotterdam to Baghdad.

Disappeared
When they arrived at Baghdad airport, Mr Mohan and a number of other Iraqis were beaten by security staff. Mr Mahdi: “It just happened out of the blue, without any provocation. There were Dutch officers on the plane. They must have been able to see it.”

Three Iraqis were immediately picked up by the police. One of them, Mohanned from Kerbala to the south of Baghdad, is a friend of Mr Mahdi who has heard nothing of him since. He himself decided to go into hiding. Five days after his return, the police came to his family’s home. He thinks this is because he had spoken to the media when he was in the Netherlands.

Mr Mahdi said: “I’ve been living with friends in less dangerous neighbourhoods since I got back. Even here, I don’t dare go out onto the streets much. I can’t go back to my own house at all. It’s too dangerous.”

Get back 
Mr Mahdi wants to get out of Iraq however he can. He has Dutch travel documents valid to 2013 but doesn’t know whether he will use them. Mr Mohan has already left Iraq again: “I was threatened by an enemy clan and I can’t expect any protection from the Iraqi police. They can’t even protect themselves. Over 20 policemen have been killed recently by gunmen using pistols with silencers.”

He has managed to get as far as Bulgaria via Turkey using a forged passport. He is being held in a secure asylum seekers’ centre. His aim is clear: he wants to get back to the Netherlands.

Mr Mohan: “I was in a Dutch prison for six months before I was expelled. I’m not a criminal, I’ve committed no crime. The only thing I’ve done is apply for asylum. I have a lawyer in the Netherlands who is acquainted with my story. I just want my rights.”