Mexico Won't Deport 11 Iraqi Christians
Pastor Dale Morgan
Mexico Won't Deport 11 Iraqi Christians*
The Associated Press
Thursday, February 1, 2007; 12:28 AM
MEXICO CITY -- The head of Mexico's Immigration Institute said Wednesday
the government won't deport or repatriate 11 Iraqi Christians detained
Jan. 20 in the northern city of Monterrey.
Cecilia Romero said the detainees may be granted asylum or simply be
freed and allowed to go where they want. The group of nine men, one
woman and a two-year-old girl had said they were trying to reach
California, where there is a sizable community of Iraqi Chaldean Christians.
"The situation in Iraq, as we all know, is a conflict situation," Romero
told reporters. "The most recent group that arrived in Nuevo Leon were
fleeing the war in their country, so we couldn't simply say to them
'go,' without raising the question, where?"
The Iraqis had traveled from Madrid, Spain, and were carrying false
passports when they were arrested at Monterrey's airport. None appeared
on terrorist watch lists.
Chaldean Christians frequently try to enter the United States through
Mexico, claiming they face persecution in Iraq.