The Assyrian Australian Professionals Association (AAPA) issued an urgent appeal to Australian Member of Parliament His Honorable Chris Bowen, calling on the Australian Government to urgently intervene to save Assyrian refugees stranded in Turkey who are at risk of forced deportation to Iraq, where they face discrimination, persecution, and life-threatening conditions.
The Hammurabi Human Rights Organization (HHRO) followed up on the statement in which the association confirmed that these refugees have been living in harsh conditions for years, despite many of them submit asylum application to Australia since 2021 without a response. It warned that returning these people to Iraq constitutes a clear violation of international law and protocols and conventions that criminalize forced return.
The Association also called on the Australian government to expedite the processing of Category 202 refugee applications and to cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to ensure their safety and dignity, stressing that rapid action can save lives and preserve Australia's reputation as a leading country in defending human rights and freedom of belief.
At the conclusion of its statement, the association stressed that "silence means contributing to the erasure of one of the oldest Christian peoples in the world", calling for immediate and humanitarian action before being late.
This is the text of the appeal:
Assyrian Australian Professionals Association (AAPA)
Floor 5, 45 – 47 Smart Street
Fairfield – New South Wales 2165
Website: www.aapaaustralia.org
To:
Mr. Chris Bowen, Member of Parliament
Sh.3 & 4, 398 Hamilton Street
Fairfield West – New South Wales
Urgent appeal for humanitarian assistance for Assyrian refugees stranded in Turkey
The Australian Assyrian Professionals Association (AAPA) is a registered non-profit organization composed of Assyrian professionals across Australia. Our mission is to defend the well-being and human rights of Assyrians, and to preserve their cultural heritage, both in Australia and around the world.
We are writing on behalf of our Assyrian community to draw your attention to the plight of Assyrian refugees stranded in the Republic of Turkey, many of whom face the risk of forced deportation to Iraq, where they are subjected to persecution, discrimination, and even possible death. As Assyrian Australians of descent, we call on your office and the relevant authorities to act urgently and humanely in accordance with the international and national obligations.
Legal and humanitarian framework
Under the United Nations Convention of the year 1951 relating to the Status of Refugees, as amended by the Protocol of 1967, a refugee is defined as:
"A person outside his/her country of origin who is unable or unwilling to return there because of a well-founded fear of persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion."
Article 33 (1) of the Convention states:
"No Contracting State may expel or return (forcibly deport) a refugee in any manner to the borders of a State where his life or freedom is threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinions."
The Republic of Turkey is a party to both the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, which enshrine the principle of non-refoulement an obligation that may not be reserved or exceeded. This principle prohibits the return of any refugee to a country where he/she faces persecution, regardless of his/her legal residence status.
Background: Persecution of Assyrians
The Assyrians are one of the oldest continuous Christian peoples in the world, and their original homeland is Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, specifically its north). Over the centuries, they have been subjected to repeated massacres, displacement and persecution.
After the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003 and the rise of ISIS in 2014–2015, the Assyrians suffered a new genocide: churches were bombed, priests were kidnapped, homes were burned, and entire towns such as Qaraqosh, Bartella, and Karamles were emptied of their inhabitants.
The current crisis in Turkey
Thousands of Assyrians who fled Iraq have been living in Turkey for years in difficult and unstable conditions. Many of them have applied to the Australian Humanitarian Asylum Program (Category 202) since 2021, but remain stuck without response or protection.
The current situation is extremely serious:
Forced Deportation: Turkey's recent cooperation with Iraq could lead to the mass deportation of Assyrian refugees, in violation of international law
Lack of legal status: Refugees are deprived of the rights to work, healthcare and education.
Human misery: They live in fear and poverty, their children grow up stateless and in constant psychological trauma.
Recommendations:
1 Accelerate consideration the processing of Category (202) applications submitted by Assyrian and Iraqi refugees in Turkey immediately
2 Issuing a ministerial directive to expedite the processing of all pending humanitarian applications before 2022.
- Extend special humanitarian considerations to include Assyrians stranded in Turkey due to the imminent risk of forced repatriation
- Coordinate efforts with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to ensure the safety and dignity of refugees.
These actions are in line with Australia's international obligations and humanitarian ethics. Remaining silent means to contribute to the erasure of one of the world's oldest Christian peoples.
Assyrian refugees in Turkey have endured years of suffering and waiting. Many fled genocide only to find themselves again facing once again in the same danger. Forced deportation to Iraq would be another human-made humanitarian disaster.
Therefore, we, the Assyrian Australian Professionals Association (AAPA), on behalf of our people, make this appeal:
> Do not let history repeat itself.
Urgent action today can save lives, affirm Australia's commitment to international law, and reaffirm its leadership in defending human rights and freedom of belief.
Respectfully,
Executive Committee
Assyrian Australian Professional Association (AAPA)