Iraq
Mustafa al-Yasiri, head of Iraq’s Anti-Human Trafficking Directorate, speaking to Rudaw on October 28, 2025. Photo: screengrab/Rudaw
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. “The latest contact point was with Sweden, to request the extradition of one of the wanted persons. When Sweden requested information from Iraq, we provided all the information with an open chest and a spirit of cooperation, for the sake of continued stability in Iraq and the entire world.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Office of the Coordinator for International Advocacy (OCIA) recently released a report detailing the KRG’s steps to implement the national human rights plan, including anti-trafficking measures.
According to the report, cases of human trafficking in the Kurdistan Region nearly doubled in 2024, with 396 cases registered. Sex trafficking rose from nine cases in 2021 to 25 in 2024, while organ trafficking surged from 54 cases in 2022–2023 to 103 in 2024. Authorities arrested 79 people on human trafficking charges last year.
Human trafficking remains a nationwide challenge in Iraq. The country passed its Anti-Human Trafficking Law in 2012, but enforcement continues to depend on coordination between federal and regional authorities.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment