ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish non-governmental organization has begun a professional training program in Halabja designed to support rejected asylum seekers from Denmark. The project is funded by the Danish government.
The program, run by the Erbil-based Rwanga Foundation, targets people who have recently been deported as well as those who returned to the Kurdistan Region previously. Twenty-three people took part in the first round of training.
Fakhir Mohammed was in Denmark for 11 years. He said he had status in the country, but chose to return to "beautiful Kurdistan."
"When I wanted to return, I handed over the [Danish] documents and then I returned. The person who had interviewed me to process my return was surprised. He asked 'Why are you returning the documents? Keep them for yourself.' I said to him 'I do not want the documents. I want to close this door for good. I do not want to have any second thoughts.'"
He works as a car mechanic in Halabja and said that finding a job is difficult everywhere.
Another young man who attended the training and wished to remain anonymous said that over five years, he stayed in five different European countries, including France and the United Kingdom.
"I will not go back again, not at all," the man told Rudaw. "We faced hardship in the prime of our youth."
"We travelled from one country to the other, experiencing boats and the sea. It is difficult to experience all of these," he said.
Every year, thousands of Kurds, mainly young people, try to reach Europe in hope of a better life. They are driven to leave their homes by unemployment, lack of opportunities, and political uncertainty.
Rwanga Foundation and Denmark signed an agreement for the two-year program in February 2024. Asylum seekers can register for the $1.5 million program through the Danish government, Iraq's diplomatic mission, or through international organisations.
After the training, some of the applicants could receive financial support ranging from $3,000 to $4,000.
"We want them to depend on themselves," Khubaib Nadr, the head of Rwanga's projects in Halabja province, told Rudaw.
"We hope they can find a job or open their businesses. We also provide financial aid to some of them," he said.
Sazgar Salah contributed to this report
