Upon the Command of His Majesty The King, a special relief Drukair flight to Dubai brought home 132 women evacuated from Iraq today. These women are the victims of trafficking. A Joint Task Force was set up to coordinate efforts to safely return all these Bhutanese home.
In the last few years, over 160 Bhutanese women were trafficked to Iraq by colluding local and foreign agents, which are unauthorised and illegal in Bhutan. Many of these women, who were promised good job opportunities abroad, were not even told that they were bound for Iraq. Once there, these women found themselves working in inhospitable conditions, and often subjected to abuse. As their passports were taken away, they were not in a position to leave freely.
Deeply concerned about the situation, His Majesty The King Commanded to use every effort and resources to safely bring these Bhutanese home.
Three groups of women have already been brought home. During quarantine, they will receive medical attention and counselling. Support to reunite with their families and access to The Druk Gyalpo’s Relief Kidu will also be provided.
As per the press release from the foreign ministry, there are still scattered groups of Bhutanese in Iraq. The Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Kuwait is working urgently to find and bring them home.
The local authorities in Iraq, the International Organization for Migration, Embassies of friendly nations, NGOs and individuals, contributed greatly in the rescue efforts, which were especially difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the political condition in Iraq.
The rescued women expressed great relief to be back home and offered their heartfelt gratitude for His Majesty’s compassion and concern for every Bhutanese citizen in the world.
Meanwhile, the government urges people to be wary of any unauthorised person claiming to be an overseas employment agent.
Samten Dolkar
