Kurdish mother fears son may be among migrants who died in English Channel
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Bryar Hamad Abdulrahman, 24, was preparing to get on an inflatable dinghy along with tens of other people in France, hoping to safely cross the English Channel and build a better life in the United Kingdom. “I will resume my phone call with you on the other side of [the Channel], inshallah,” he told his mother in the Kurdistan Region before boarding the boat, but he has not been heard from since.
“This was the last time I spoke with him,” Shukrya Bakir, 44, told Rudaw English on Saturday over the phone, sobbing.
She said Bryar was likely among the 27 who have drowned in a small boat attempting to cross the English Channel to reach the UK on Wednesday.
“My son was in the capsized boat,” the mother said, adding that she has been told by family members in Europe that a dead body has been recovered with injuries consistent with her son's, including a foot with a severed toe.
“The son of one of my sisters has gone there [France], but he was not given access and cannot get it until Monday. He is now in front of the hospital,” Shukrya said, adding that Bryar had called a relative while on board, “telling him that the engine of the boat had stopped working and French police failed to provide aid.”
However, she said they have not received any official confirmation about the fate of her son.
Bryar, who had dropped out of school and begun working as a laborer, is originally from Rawanduz district’s Garawan village in northeast Erbil province. The young man was unmarried and lived with his family in Soran town. He left the Kurdistan Region along with a couple of friends on July 12, arriving in France with the hope of crossing to the UK, according to his mother.
Relatives told Rudaw that Bryar’s family has been involved in a tribal feud for years, causing the death of two of his brothers and the jailing of his father who is still in prison. “He was probably seeking a way out of this situation,” said a friend of his on the condition of anonymity.
Krmanj Ezzat, former mayor of Soran district which is now an independent administration, told Rudaw English on Saturday that he has received confirmation from contacts in France that Bryar is among the 27 people who died in the Channel.
Baran Nuri Hamadamin, a 24-year-old woman and the daughter of Ezzat’s cousin, also died in the incident. She and two other women were trying to reach the UK via the English Channel to reach their fiancés.
Ezzat also said that he has confirmed the death of two women from Ranya and one from Erbil city.
Rudaw English contacted Ali Dolamari, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) representative in France, but he said that he could not confirm any deaths as he was waiting for the French authorities to provide them with names. His office has called on families in the Kurdistan Region to report their missing ones to them via email.
Following the tragic death of the 27, most of whom are believed to be Kurds, France and the UK have called for new measures to limit migration across the Channel, although the countries are embroiled in a political dispute over what steps should be taken.
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani tweeted his condolences on Thursday, saying he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of 27 innocent lives in the English Channel last night.”
“Some of the victims appear to be Kurds. We are working to establish their identities. Our thoughts are with their families,” he said.
“This was the last time I spoke with him,” Shukrya Bakir, 44, told Rudaw English on Saturday over the phone, sobbing.
She said Bryar was likely among the 27 who have drowned in a small boat attempting to cross the English Channel to reach the UK on Wednesday.
“My son was in the capsized boat,” the mother said, adding that she has been told by family members in Europe that a dead body has been recovered with injuries consistent with her son's, including a foot with a severed toe.
“The son of one of my sisters has gone there [France], but he was not given access and cannot get it until Monday. He is now in front of the hospital,” Shukrya said, adding that Bryar had called a relative while on board, “telling him that the engine of the boat had stopped working and French police failed to provide aid.”
However, she said they have not received any official confirmation about the fate of her son.
Bryar, who had dropped out of school and begun working as a laborer, is originally from Rawanduz district’s Garawan village in northeast Erbil province. The young man was unmarried and lived with his family in Soran town. He left the Kurdistan Region along with a couple of friends on July 12, arriving in France with the hope of crossing to the UK, according to his mother.
Relatives told Rudaw that Bryar’s family has been involved in a tribal feud for years, causing the death of two of his brothers and the jailing of his father who is still in prison. “He was probably seeking a way out of this situation,” said a friend of his on the condition of anonymity.
Krmanj Ezzat, former mayor of Soran district which is now an independent administration, told Rudaw English on Saturday that he has received confirmation from contacts in France that Bryar is among the 27 people who died in the Channel.
Baran Nuri Hamadamin, a 24-year-old woman and the daughter of Ezzat’s cousin, also died in the incident. She and two other women were trying to reach the UK via the English Channel to reach their fiancés.
Ezzat also said that he has confirmed the death of two women from Ranya and one from Erbil city.
Rudaw English contacted Ali Dolamari, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) representative in France, but he said that he could not confirm any deaths as he was waiting for the French authorities to provide them with names. His office has called on families in the Kurdistan Region to report their missing ones to them via email.
Following the tragic death of the 27, most of whom are believed to be Kurds, France and the UK have called for new measures to limit migration across the Channel, although the countries are embroiled in a political dispute over what steps should be taken.
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani tweeted his condolences on Thursday, saying he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of 27 innocent lives in the English Channel last night.”
“Some of the victims appear to be Kurds. We are working to establish their identities. Our thoughts are with their families,” he said.