ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi officials have praised strong coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in combating human trafficking, as data shows a sharp rise in trafficking cases across the country, including in the Kurdistan Region.
Mustafa al-Yasiri, head of Iraq’s Anti-Human Trafficking Directorate, told Rudaw on Tuesday that there is an established and active framework for cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil.
"We have a high-level committee headed by the interior minister, which consists of 23 members from all official institutions, including the Kurdistan Region,” Yasiri said, confirming coordination between Erbil and Baghdad. “The anti-human trafficking section has been cooperative and productive. There is an exchange of information, and if there are wanted persons, they are exchanged between us.”
Abbas al-Bahadli, spokesperson for Iraq’s interior ministry, echoed Yasiri’s remarks, saying the KRG “is very cooperative in all security files, especially in the file related to human trafficking.”
He said the Kurdistan Region has representatives in the federal committee led by the interior minister, where “important decisions are made,” adding that both sides exchange information and coordinate the handover of suspects.
“Particularly regarding the human trafficking dossier and technology processes, Iraq today has major contact points in the field of combating narcotics and human trafficking,” Bahadli said, noting that there is also coordination with other countries.