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“Loyal” Iraqis to be settled in U.K.

LONDON: Iraqi civilians who worked for British forces defying the widespread public opinion against the British-U.S. occupation are to be rewarded for their loyalty under a special scheme that will allow many to come and settle in Britain.

Others will be given financial assistance to meet the cost of relocation for themselves and their families either in Iraq or elsewhere in the region.

The decision follows representations from the Iraqis that they feared for their lives after the British left.

Many claimed that they had received death threats from militants.

The scheme will benefit hundreds of translators and other administrative staff. Only those who put in at least 12 months’ continuous service are covered by the scheme.Some 2,000 Iraqis will be “airlifted” to Britain and helped to start a new life here, The Guardian reported.

They will be brought here over a seven-month period starting next month and settled in north of the country and Scotland.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We owe a debt of gratitude for the commitment they have shown to their country and the risks they have taken.”

Refugee groups welcomed the decision, saying the Iraqis deserved to be rewarded.

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