Escape Iraq or die trying

By FRMAN ABDUL-RAHMAN
INSTITUTE FOR WAR & amp; PEACE REPORTING
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq -- For Diyar Abdullah, a 28-year-old taxi driver, getting to Europe has become something of an obsession.
He came one step closer to realizing his dream recently when he sold his new Nissan for 11,000 and used the money to buy a Swedish visa.
Abdullah is among a growing number of people in the region who are paying huge sums of money for visas to Western countries. Even though Iraqi Kurdistan has escaped much of the violence that has engulfed the rest of the country, they say they've decided to emigrate because they've had enough of corruption and poverty in Iraq.
"There's no respect for human beings in this country," Abdullah said.
Those seeking to leave the country usually approach local travel agents who are able to obtain visas to Western countries. They normally charge between 8,000 and 12,000 for their services.
Haji Bestoon, the owner of the Lebanon for Tourism Co. in Sulaimaniyah, said he's provided 900 visas for Turkey.
"Most of our customers are young people," he said.
Young Kurds are among the fiercest critics of the local authorities, accusing them of not doing enough to clamp down on corruption, raise living standards and improve basic services.
Three months ago, Nariman Muhammed, 35, a technician from Sulaimaniyah, got a visa from Bestoon, and flew to Sweden, leaving behind his wife and five kids.
"I'm trying to get the rest of family over here," he said in a phone interview. "We will never go back to Kurdistan."
Those who did return to Kurdistan after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 now say they regret their decision and are planning to leave once more.
Dler Omer, 30, is one of those who had immigrated to Britain but decided to return. Now he says that was a big mistake.
What he misses
"[In Britain] there was no shortage of fuel, electricity and water," he said.
In an apparent effort to slow the exodus, the authorities appear to be refusing to issue passports to anyone under 27, although the government denies that is its official policy.
"Because we have a limited number of passports, we are forced to give them to people who need them urgently, such as medical patients and government delegations," said Muhsin Osman, head of Sulaimaniyah Passport and Residence Directorate.
Those who are unable to obtain a passport legally sometimes pursue other means.
One young man who was deported back to Iraq by a European country after authorities discovered his passport was a forgery said he still dreams of returning to the West.
"Even if I'm deported a hundred more times, I will still keep trying," said the young Kurd, who asked that his name not be used. "I will either reach Europe or die trying."
Frman Abdul-Rahman is a journalist in Iraq who writes for The Institute for War & amp; Peace Reporting, a nonprofit organization that trains journalists in areas of conflict. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.