- The number of Syrian Kurd refugees in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region is increasing as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime continues its crackdown on protesters.

More and more refugees are fleeing Syria after the Kurdish authorities said last month that 30 Syrian Kurd soldiers defecting from the Syrian army had been granted refugee status and that any other Kurds fleeing the country would be welcome and accepted as refugees.

Kurdistan's immigration office said the number hit 150 yesterday when two Syrian Kurds entered the Kurdistan Region and sought asylum.

Local authorities in Duhok province, Kurdistan western province on the Syrian border, are planning to build a refugee camp in the area.

“We're working on building a camp in Balqus area [Duhok province] where the Syrian asylum refugees as a first step could be accommodated before they can be resettled," said Duhok immigration official Shakir Yaseen. "The basic services will be provided for them here."

“Syrians citizens continue to leave their country for the Kurdistan Region due to the deteriorating security situation there... the 150 refugees are mainly individuals."

Yaseen added that there were many Syrian army defectors among 139 individuals, “but I can’t reveal their number”. The remaining 11 refugees form two families.






(AKnews)