Iraqi refugee returned to Sweden

A high-profile Iraqi refugee who last week was ordered out of Switzerland was placed on a special flight to Sweden on Thursday morning, authorities said.

Fahad Khammas had sought asylum in Switzerland but officials from the Federal Migration Office found he had previously applied for and been denied refuge in Sweden.

Khammas filed an appeal to stay in Switzerland but a federal court rejected the petition, paving the way for his deportation.

In a statement, the Swiss government said its decision was in line with an agreement signed with the European Union, adding that Khammas’ asylum-seeking process would continue in Sweden.

Lawyers for the 24-year-old, who featured in a recent documentary on Switzerland’s refugee policy, say his life is in danger if he returns to Iraq. He has lived outside Iraq for the past five years.