- Sophie: Fake passports and bids for freedom
- Cherie: Is there any chance for us to get any rights for what we did for the British Forces in Iraq?
- Matt: For the first time in my life, I felt that… I am a Traitor
- Fred (Apr 2003): I thank Coalition forces to liberate Iraqi people and to put us agreed conditions after the war
- Jeremy: wish of my life to pay a visit to London to see its noble peoples whom I respect and love too much
- Jane: Fleeing Iraq, the reality
- Patrick: Mid July 2004 and the assassinations started
- Trevor: I am just sitting in my house waiting the militia to come and kill me
- Will: Im living a very horrible life, hiding and doing no job to feed my family
The Scotsman - 7 August 2007
Submitted by markb on September 25, 2007 - 22:59.
Article from The Scotsman - 7th August 2007
For the full story, please visit The Scotsman website:http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1238612007
Several of the interpreters have written to the army asking for special asylum consideration for themselves and their families, arguing that the threat of persecution will be all the greater once British troops pull out, possibly next year.
But the government departments dealing with the Iraqis say they will not automatically give anyone asylum in Britain.
"There isn't a blanket process of approval," a Foreign Office spokesman said.
Several translators working for the British in Basra have already been kidnapped and killed by insurgents or militias, who regard them as collaborators with foreign forces. Some have been tortured before being killed and their bodies dumped.
But the Home Office, which deals with asylum cases, said it was not in a position to grant a blanket asylum to the Iraqis despite the "essential work" they do.
And the Ministry of Defence, which with the Foreign Office is also responsible for the employees, underlined the need for Iraqi translators to apply for asylum individually.
A defence spokeswoman said that Britain valued the work of the translators highly and took its responsibilities towards them seriously, but added:
"We consider any specific requests for assistance from serving or ex-employees on their individual merits. Should an individual seek to come to the UK, they would need to apply for entry clearance in the usual way."
Pressure has been building on Britain to grant asylum to its Iraqi employees -- and essentially take them with them when they leave -- since Denmark airlifted 200 Iraqi translators and their relatives to Denmark ahead of a troop pullout last month.