ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Hussain Haseeb, a 31-year-old man from Chamchamal, died after arriving in the UK where he was planning to seek asylum. After 11 days of no news from him, his family found out from social media that their loved one had died. 

The news of his death resounded across Chamchamal, causing great grief for his family who are begging that his body be returned to the Kurdistan Region. 

Haseeb’s mother recounted her conversation with her son before he embarked on what would be his final journey. "My son said ‘mother, we will go back to the forest and if they take my phone away, I will call you from another phone,” Parwin Ahmed told Rudaw’s Peshawa Bakhtyar on Saturday. 

"I do not want anything, just bring my son back.”

Due to an illness causing him chest and throat pain, Hussein’s physical look started to change, coinciding with when Haseeb finally managed to safely cross into the UK via the English Channel, one of the most dangerous migration routes. 

His last text message was sent to her sister's husband. 

"In Italy, he had health problems. He suffered from cold and illness. The last time we called him, we could not hear him,” Tariq Jaff, Haseeb’s cousin said. 

"On November 21, at exactly 3:29 am, I have the messages he sent. He texted me and said that they are getting on a boat and I texted him back and said ‘please, take care of my brother’ and he did not answer back,”

Hussein was married and has a seven-year-old daughter. The family's only demand is the return of the body of their son, who died 45 days ago.

The Kurdistan Region, often called a safe haven within Iraq, is facing crises of its own - high unemployment, corruption, political instability, and an economic downturn during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Kurdish government has acknowledged the existence of systemic problems and financial hardships but says it is working to address these issues.

-Rudaw