A severe human rights crisis and political crackdown in the city of Sulaymaniyah and its surrounding province is triggering a mass exodus, with a significant number of refugees risking their lives to reach the United Kingdom.

The surge in departures is directly linked by residents and activists to the rule of Bafel Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) which controls the area. Talabani, who holds British citizenship, has been accused of creating a climate of fear through the imprisonment of rivals, alleged torture, and violence against supporters of his opposition.

The crisis is contributing to a new record in Channel crossings. More than 36,950 migrants have reached the UK by small boat since the start of 2025, already surpassing the total for all of last year, with a notable increase in individuals from the Sulaymaniyah area.

One of those who made the perilous journey is "Amed," a Kurdish asylum seeker whose name has been changed to protect his relatives. He described a harrowing 3,000-mile journey that culminated in a dangerous Channel crossing on August 11.

“It was very bad in the dinghy, there were 84 people on board, some people lost consciousness, it was very, very dangerous,” Amed told the Daily Express. “A couple of times we were about to drown because of the waves.”

Amed said he initially fled Sulaymaniyah by car, driven out by political repression. "Sulaymaniyah has become a military dictatorship. Just for mentioning a political rival’s name, you can be put in prison. Anyone who dares to say anything against Bafel will be arrested and tortured," he claimed.

His escape route took him to Turkey, then by a six-day boat to Italy, and overland to Dunkirk, France, before his final Channel attempt. He paid thousands of pounds to people smugglers, a cost he said was necessary to escape the danger at home.

The political situation escalated sharply with Talabani's arrest of his two cousins and political rivals, Lahur and Polad Talabani, who are also dual British citizens. Family members and local sources report that these arrests, alongside alleged killings of supporters, have been the primary driver of the migrant wave. At least 30 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in the province in recent months, according to local reports.

“Bafel is a British citizen, how on Earth are these things happening and the British government is doing nothing?” Amed asked, expressing a sentiment common among those fleeing.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has expressed concern over the developments in Sulaymaniyah province, specifically lamenting the loss of life and injuries from recent violence.

Now in a hotel in northwest England, Amed warned that the exodus is far from over. “They’ve committed so many crimes against the people that they’ve made Saddam Hussein look like a saint in comparison,” he said, indicating that many others in his hometown are waiting for their chance to flee.