COPENHAGEN - Two hundred Iraqis working for the Danish military were evacuated to Denmark this week where they will be allowed to seek asylum, Denmark's defence ministry said Friday.
The evacuation began on Tuesday and a final planeload of Iraqis landed on Friday morning at Copenhagen airport. The operation was not announced in advance for "security reasons", the ministry said.
The group included interpreters, drivers and other administrative employees either formerly or presently employed by the Danes, as well as their families.
They feared for their lives in Iraq after the scheduled withdrawal of the Danish troops in August and had expressed their wish to seek asylum in Denmark, since they risk being seen as traitors by extremist groups.
The Danish defence ministry announced in late June that the Iraqis it had employed would be allowed to seek asylum in the Scandinavian country, but stressed it would not automatically be granted.
Denmark has deployed troops in the southern town of Basra under British command since 2003.
07/20/2007 14:02 GMT