The people running Iraq insist that everything's really, really not bad at all -- but please please please, they beg us, don't repatriate any refugees. I mentioned a few days ago that the occupiers are desperate to keep Iraqis now living in Iran from returning to Iraq; now, according to The Observer, it's refugees from England:

British and American officials in the provisional government in Iraq have scuppered plans by the Home Office to repatriate thousands of Iraqi asylum-seekers.

Home Secretary David Blunkett announced in May that asylum-seekers who fled Saddam Hussein's regime would be returning to Iraq within weeks. However, The Observer has discovered that the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Baghdad has told the Home Office that neither the country, nor the current administration, is ready for any returning refugees.

The Home Office last night confirmed that it intended to begin voluntary repatriations this month and wished to start forced deportations by the end of the year.

A spokeswoman said: 'There are some people who actively want to go home and we are putting measures in place to help them. We will start forced returns when it is realistic to do so. It still stands that we would still be looking towards the end of the year if at all possible.'...

Humanitarian officials say the CPA is 'livid' at being 'pushed into accepting refugees', even when they were returning voluntarily. 'They believe they have got enough problems to deal with already without Western governments adding more for their own domestic reasons,' the official said....