Friday, October 05, 2007
Iraqis prevented from entering Syria without visas
Travel
(DPA) -- For the first time under a new visa regime to stem the flow of Iraqi refugees into the country, 10 Iraqis were prevented Wednesday from entering Syria without visas, an Iraqi party leader living in Syria said Thursday. The Iraqi politician, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the 10 Iraqis tried to get visas from Syrian embassies abroad but they were told that there were no instructions as to the new visa system applied two weeks ago by the Syrian government only on Iraqis.
The Iraqi official further added that the Syrian-Iraqi borders seemed the past two days almost deserted after previously receiving between 1,500 and 2,000 Iraqis every day. Any Arab is allowed to enter Syria without a visa. However, after the massive flow of Iraqi refugees from the ongoing conflict in that country into Syria, the Syrian government decided to impose visas on any visiting Iraqi.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres, about 2 million Iraqis have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, particularly in Jordan and Syria, placing a heavy burden on their hosts. In Syria, which sees the arrival of an estimated 40,000 Iraqis a month, refugees are seen to be contributing to a rise in the cost of housing and goods and the overcrowding of schools.
About 1.5 million Iraqi refugees currently live in Syria. The Syrian government provides the Iraqi refugees with free education and health care, but can no longer cope with the influx of Iraqis.
The Iraqi official further added that the Syrian-Iraqi borders seemed the past two days almost deserted after previously receiving between 1,500 and 2,000 Iraqis every day. Any Arab is allowed to enter Syria without a visa. However, after the massive flow of Iraqi refugees from the ongoing conflict in that country into Syria, the Syrian government decided to impose visas on any visiting Iraqi.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres, about 2 million Iraqis have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, particularly in Jordan and Syria, placing a heavy burden on their hosts. In Syria, which sees the arrival of an estimated 40,000 Iraqis a month, refugees are seen to be contributing to a rise in the cost of housing and goods and the overcrowding of schools.
About 1.5 million Iraqi refugees currently live in Syria. The Syrian government provides the Iraqi refugees with free education and health care, but can no longer cope with the influx of Iraqis.
Labels: Iraq, refugees, Syria, visas
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
U.S. to support Iraqi refugees with $30 mn. education grant
Education
(AP) -- The top U.S. envoy on refugees announced Tuesday that the United States will increase its support to countries hosting Iraqi refugees with a $30 million grant for education. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey said the money will help pay for schooling in countries like Jordan, where tens of thousands of young Iraqis recently began attending government schools.
Jordan and Syria host the largest percentage of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have been displaced by the war and they have complained of the increasing burden on their health and education systems. Smaller numbers of Iraqis have fled to Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey. The grant will go toward a recent joint appeal by the U.N. refugee agency and UNICEF for international donors to provide $129 million that would pay for educating 155,000 Iraqi children in Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
In Damascus, the German development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, announced that her government would give $5.4 million to help Syria cope with the Iraqi refugees it hosts. This month, more than 40,000 Iraqi children went to school in Jordan for the first time since they fled their homeland, amid concerns about the system being overburdened. Education Minister Khaled Touqan said more classrooms and possibly new schools would be needed.
In the past, Iraqi children could attend Jordanian public schools only if a family had a residency permit or paid fees - a serious strain on the finances of the largely unemployed Iraqi refugees. Sauerbrey told reporters the United States expected to allow in some 2,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of September, but ruled out taking in large numbers.
While Washington has a "moral obligation" to aid refugees "in danger because of their affiliation with U.S. forces," she said it also had an obligation to "provide the assistance necessary to help people continue to be in the region for when the day comes that Iraq is a stable country and people will have a home to return to."
The United States has been criticized by some people for accepting so few Iraqi refugees. Only 57 settled in the U.S. last month, bringing the total over the last year to 190. This month it expects to take in 400 Iraqis.
Jordan and Syria host the largest percentage of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have been displaced by the war and they have complained of the increasing burden on their health and education systems. Smaller numbers of Iraqis have fled to Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey. The grant will go toward a recent joint appeal by the U.N. refugee agency and UNICEF for international donors to provide $129 million that would pay for educating 155,000 Iraqi children in Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
In Damascus, the German development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, announced that her government would give $5.4 million to help Syria cope with the Iraqi refugees it hosts. This month, more than 40,000 Iraqi children went to school in Jordan for the first time since they fled their homeland, amid concerns about the system being overburdened. Education Minister Khaled Touqan said more classrooms and possibly new schools would be needed.
In the past, Iraqi children could attend Jordanian public schools only if a family had a residency permit or paid fees - a serious strain on the finances of the largely unemployed Iraqi refugees. Sauerbrey told reporters the United States expected to allow in some 2,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of September, but ruled out taking in large numbers.
While Washington has a "moral obligation" to aid refugees "in danger because of their affiliation with U.S. forces," she said it also had an obligation to "provide the assistance necessary to help people continue to be in the region for when the day comes that Iraq is a stable country and people will have a home to return to."
The United States has been criticized by some people for accepting so few Iraqi refugees. Only 57 settled in the U.S. last month, bringing the total over the last year to 190. This month it expects to take in 400 Iraqis.
Labels: education grants, Ellen Sauerbrey, Jordan, refugees, Syria, U.N., U.S.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Kurds trapped on Iraqi-Jordanian border
Humanitarian
(Al Jazeera) - About 100 Kurds are trapped on the Jordanian-Iraqi border and another 100 or so refugees are at the nearby Rweished camp. Al Jazeera got exclusive access to the border area. It is called No Man's Land, a refugee camp at the border between Jordan and Iraq. Iraqis fleeing violence in their country dream of reaching this far, to the other side of the border.
On arrival, refugees are greeted by intense security checks. The Jordanians have an advanced scanning system – vehicles are passed through huge scanners, people's belonging are scanned and dogs sniff their bags.
The sound of violence echoes from across the border. We heard gunshots the whole time we were there, coming from an American training base close by on the Iraqi side.
But not everyone is this lucky - most are turned away on the spot. Others have been waiting to get in for years.
Accompanied by Jordanian authorities, we were not allowed to speak to any refugees. However, we did find out that they are Kurds from Iran who lived in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Effectively stateless, they got stuck at this border.
Bill Frelick, of Human Rights Watch, said: "In the No Man's Land camp, it is basically no law, no rights, no protection, no humanitarian assistance. "They are essentially left to beg from the truck drivers that are waiting to make the crossing between the two countries to get handouts." These refugees turned down the UN's offer to relocate them on the Kurdish part of Iraq. They insist on being resettled in a Western country.
An hour's drive away, there is another group of people stuck in another camp: Al Ruwaished. It used to be home to close to a 1,000 refugees from Iraq. Most have been resettled but a handful of families – almost all Palestinian – are still there. Rejected by Jordan, fearing persecution in Iraq, and blocked by Israel from going to Gaza, these people have been all but forgotten. Some have been born here, and others have died.
(Al Jazeera) - About 100 Kurds are trapped on the Jordanian-Iraqi border and another 100 or so refugees are at the nearby Rweished camp. Al Jazeera got exclusive access to the border area. It is called No Man's Land, a refugee camp at the border between Jordan and Iraq. Iraqis fleeing violence in their country dream of reaching this far, to the other side of the border.
On arrival, refugees are greeted by intense security checks. The Jordanians have an advanced scanning system – vehicles are passed through huge scanners, people's belonging are scanned and dogs sniff their bags.
The sound of violence echoes from across the border. We heard gunshots the whole time we were there, coming from an American training base close by on the Iraqi side.
But not everyone is this lucky - most are turned away on the spot. Others have been waiting to get in for years.
Accompanied by Jordanian authorities, we were not allowed to speak to any refugees. However, we did find out that they are Kurds from Iran who lived in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Effectively stateless, they got stuck at this border.
Bill Frelick, of Human Rights Watch, said: "In the No Man's Land camp, it is basically no law, no rights, no protection, no humanitarian assistance. "They are essentially left to beg from the truck drivers that are waiting to make the crossing between the two countries to get handouts." These refugees turned down the UN's offer to relocate them on the Kurdish part of Iraq. They insist on being resettled in a Western country.
An hour's drive away, there is another group of people stuck in another camp: Al Ruwaished. It used to be home to close to a 1,000 refugees from Iraq. Most have been resettled but a handful of families – almost all Palestinian – are still there. Rejected by Jordan, fearing persecution in Iraq, and blocked by Israel from going to Gaza, these people have been all but forgotten. Some have been born here, and others have died.
Ann-Marie Deutschlander, senior protection officer for the UN refugee agency in Iraq, said: "Far from ideal, it was set up by the government in order to be as far away as possible [and] as close to Iraqi border. "It's hot in the summer, it's in the middle of the desert, it's not a nice place to live." The UN says it has "tried everything to relocate them" - approaching traditional relocation countries, and some non-traditional countries. But promises offer them little comfort. Behind the fence lie a people stuck in limbo.
Labels: Al Ruwaished, Iraq, Jordan, refugees, Rweished camp
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Syria, Jordan urge UNHCR to create refugee camps for Iraqis
Humanitarian
(AP Worldstream) - Emergency camps to host Iraqis fleeing their country could be built if their numbers increase beyond the point where neighboring nations can cope, the U.N. refugee agency said Monday. Already about two million Iraqis are living under difficult conditions in Syria, Jordan, and other countries in the region, where they are placing a heavy burden on their hosts, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees' director for the Middle East and North Africa said.
"If the situation continues to deteriorate inside Iraq, and if new and major waves of Iraqis start leaving, we might face a situation whereby borders all around Iraq are closed," Radhouane Nouicer told reporters after returning from a visit to the region. To avoid the closing of borders, UNHCR would set up camps in Jordan, Syria, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, effectively separating the refugees from the local population and economy, he said. "The countries neighboring Iraq would prefer that we establish what they call 'safety zones' inside Iraq," he said. "We do not see any area inside Iraq which is completely safe, so we prefer to drop that option."
According to the agency, Syria has taken in some 1.2 million Iraqis, and Jordan his hosting between 500,00 and 750,000. Egypt has 120,000 refugees, and another 200,000 Iraqis have found shelter in the countries of the Persian Gulf. Even Lebanon, which had its own refugee crisis during the conflict with Israel last summer, is home to at least 20,000 Iraqi refugees. Thousands more are leaving Iraq daily.
"If the situation continues to deteriorate inside Iraq, and if new and major waves of Iraqis start leaving, we might face a situation whereby borders all around Iraq are closed," Radhouane Nouicer told reporters after returning from a visit to the region. To avoid the closing of borders, UNHCR would set up camps in Jordan, Syria, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, effectively separating the refugees from the local population and economy, he said. "The countries neighboring Iraq would prefer that we establish what they call 'safety zones' inside Iraq," he said. "We do not see any area inside Iraq which is completely safe, so we prefer to drop that option."
According to the agency, Syria has taken in some 1.2 million Iraqis, and Jordan his hosting between 500,00 and 750,000. Egypt has 120,000 refugees, and another 200,000 Iraqis have found shelter in the countries of the Persian Gulf. Even Lebanon, which had its own refugee crisis during the conflict with Israel last summer, is home to at least 20,000 Iraqi refugees. Thousands more are leaving Iraq daily.
Labels: refugees, region, UNHCR
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
UNHCR to hold international conference on Iraqi IDPs, refugees
Humanitarian, International
(UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency said a major conference in Geneva in April is aimed at increasing awareness of the humanitarian scale of the Iraq conflict and winning international support for tackling the problems. Participants at the April 17-18 ministerial-level meeting in Geneva's Palais des Nations would also try to identify more targeted responses to specific problems, UNHCR's chief spokesman, Ron Redmond, told reporters, while adding that it was not specifically a pledging or donor conference. "The conference will bring together Iraqi authorities and those of neighbouring countries, major refugee-hosting states, major donor countries, resettlement countries, concerned regional governmental organisations, NGOs, UN and non-UN partners and others," Redmond said.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Jordanians to introduce visas for Iraqi refugees
Humanitarian
(IRIN) - Iraqis fleeing sectarian violence in their country will soon have to get visas from the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad before arriving at the kingdom's borders, a senior government official told IRIN. No date has been set for the implementation of the move and it is not intended to curb the number of Iraqis entering the kingdom, said the official on condition of anonymity.
"We want to make it easier for them so they are not refused entry at the borders," he said.The new procedures are expected to affect at least 500 asylum seekers daily, according to officials from the Jordanian Ministry of the Interior. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that there are up to 750,000 Iraqi refugees in Jordan and up to one million in Syria. There has been much speculation recently on the capability and will of these countries - which also host hundreds of thousands of Palestinian asylum seekers - to allow more fleeing Iraqis in.
Economists and members of Jordan's parliament have said they resent the Iraqi refugees. They allege that the prices of basic commodities as well as housing have tripled over the past three years because of the Iraqis.
Economists and members of Jordan's parliament have said they resent the Iraqi refugees. They allege that the prices of basic commodities as well as housing have tripled over the past three years because of the Iraqis.
Jordanian officials have repeatedly asked the international community to lend a hand to the cash-strapped nation in order to be able to meet the demands of the growing number of Iraqis it hosts.Government spokesmen Nasser Judeh hinted on Monday that Jordan would impose new rules to control the flow of Iraqis, but did not specifically mention the visa regulations.
Labels: Jordan, refugees, visas
Thursday, March 15, 2007
WFP launches appeal for $1.7 mn. to feed Iraqi refugees in Syria
Humanitarian
(AP) The World Food Program launched an appeal for $1.7 million to help feed tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees who are continuing to arrive in Syria and increasingly lack the resources to take care of themselves. "Up to mid-2006, many Iraqi refugees entering Syria had adequate resources to cover their needs," the agency said in a statement asking for donations. "As targeted violence continues in Iraq, the number of those fleeing and arriving unable to sustain themselves is rapidly increasing."
(AP) The World Food Program launched an appeal for $1.7 million to help feed tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees who are continuing to arrive in Syria and increasingly lack the resources to take care of themselves. "Up to mid-2006, many Iraqi refugees entering Syria had adequate resources to cover their needs," the agency said in a statement asking for donations. "As targeted violence continues in Iraq, the number of those fleeing and arriving unable to sustain themselves is rapidly increasing."
While the majority of refugees rely on extended family networks and savings to support themselves, the agency noted, many in the recent wave have no such support and have not even had time to sell their belongings before fleeing. Bradford added that as refugees have flooded into Syria, where they already number nearly 1 million, the competition for jobs and work permits has become increasingly stiff, forcing many Iraqis into illegal and exploitative jobs.
The agency currently provides food assistance to 7,000 people and plans to help 2,500 more each month until the end of the year. Last month, the Damascus office of the U.N. refugee agency said about 40,000 Iraqis are arriving in Syria each month, almost double the rate from only a few months ago. The refugees have placed a strain on Syria, causing a rise in the prices of housing and goods and overcrowding the country's schools. Syria's Interior Ministry said in December that the country has admitted more than 800,000 Iraqis fleeing the raging violence. An estimated 1.8 million Iraqi refugees are scattered throughout the Middle East, according to U.N. figures.
Labels: refugees, Syria, World Food Program
Sunday, March 11, 2007
U.N. - 727,000 Iraqis have fled homes in last month
Humanitarian
(Al Jazeera)
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has begun a one-week mission to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan to strengthen support for displaced Iraqis in the region and the countries hosting them. George Okoth-Obbo, director of international protection, travelled to Syria on Saturday ahead of an April conference in Geneva on displacement in Iraq. The United Nations estimates 2 million Iraqis now live in nearby countries and about 1.9 million have been displaced within Iraq itself. It estimates more than 727,000 Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes since last month.
A statement issued by the agency said the one-week mission is "part of UNHCR's overall efforts to strengthen its protection and assistance programmes for hundreds of thousands of uprooted Iraqis in the region". Okoth-Obbo will be in Syria until Tuesday, then travels to Lebanon through Wednesday, and then Jordan on Thursday and Friday. He will meet government officials and aid workers in each country. UNHCR estimates Syria hosts about 1 million Iraqis and Jordan hosts about 750,000. Lebanon has an estimated 40,000 Iraqis.
The statement said: "Missions will be focussed on the ongoing effort to ensure that Iraqis fleeing their homeland receive international protection, that the required systems are in place ... and that there are programmes for the provision of assistance and solutions, including resettlement of the most vulnerable."Radhouane Nouicer, UNHCR's director for the Middle East and North Africa will also be reviewing operations in the region.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has begun a one-week mission to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan to strengthen support for displaced Iraqis in the region and the countries hosting them. George Okoth-Obbo, director of international protection, travelled to Syria on Saturday ahead of an April conference in Geneva on displacement in Iraq. The United Nations estimates 2 million Iraqis now live in nearby countries and about 1.9 million have been displaced within Iraq itself. It estimates more than 727,000 Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes since last month.
A statement issued by the agency said the one-week mission is "part of UNHCR's overall efforts to strengthen its protection and assistance programmes for hundreds of thousands of uprooted Iraqis in the region". Okoth-Obbo will be in Syria until Tuesday, then travels to Lebanon through Wednesday, and then Jordan on Thursday and Friday. He will meet government officials and aid workers in each country. UNHCR estimates Syria hosts about 1 million Iraqis and Jordan hosts about 750,000. Lebanon has an estimated 40,000 Iraqis.
The statement said: "Missions will be focussed on the ongoing effort to ensure that Iraqis fleeing their homeland receive international protection, that the required systems are in place ... and that there are programmes for the provision of assistance and solutions, including resettlement of the most vulnerable."Radhouane Nouicer, UNHCR's director for the Middle East and North Africa will also be reviewing operations in the region.
Labels: displaced people, George Okoth-Obbo, Jordan, Lebanon, refugees, Syria, UNHCR
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
U.N. office for refugees to open in Jordan
Humanitarian
(AP) The United Nations plans to open an office in Jordan to deal with the increasingly serious humanitarian problems posed by 1.8 million Iraqis who have fled to neighboring countries and a similar number who have fled their homes and are still inside Iraq, the new U.N. humanitarian chief said Monday.
John Holmes told a news conference that governments, voluntary organizations and other U.N. agencies want to address the worsening humanitarian situation "in a more consistent way than we have been" in the past. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will be setting up a small office in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with about 10 staff members, he said.
John Holmes told a news conference that governments, voluntary organizations and other U.N. agencies want to address the worsening humanitarian situation "in a more consistent way than we have been" in the past. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will be setting up a small office in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with about 10 staff members, he said.
There are currently 1.8 million Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, primarily Syria and Jordan, "who are posing considerable problems and facing considerable difficulties," he said. The U.N. believes there are a similar number of internally displaced Iraqis as a result of sectarian violence and rising tensions, and "they face very serious problems as well."
Labels: Jordan, refugees, U.N., U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Friday, February 16, 2007
Iraq violence could lead to 1 million fleeing their homes
Humanitarian
(AP) Unrelenting violence and insecurity in Iraq could cause as many as 1 million Iraqis to flee their homes this year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday. "The numbers of people that are being displaced are increasing every day," said Jemini Pandaya, spokeswoman for the IOM. "The security situation is not improving. It's not changing." Pandaya said the organization's estimate was made "on the assumption that security conditions will continue much as they are."
The possibility of neighboring countries, such as Syria, closing their borders would mean even more of the displaced would only be able to get as far as other parts of Iraq. On Thursday, the U.N. refugee agency appealed to the European Union to do more to protect refugees fleeing Iraq, saying the war was the cause of the biggest displacement of people in the Middle East in recent history.
Washington announced it will allow about 7,000 Iraqis into the United States this year, up from 202 in 2006, and will pay more to help Iraq's neighbors cope with the surge of refugees. As the bloodshed in Iraq has increased, European governments have come under increasing pressure to open their doors to asylum-seekers. Many are worried that an escalation in violence in 2007 could generate a fresh wave of refugees. The U.N. appeal came as the EU announced it would contribute $13 million more for Iraqi refugees. About 60 percent will go to help those who have fled to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
The possibility of neighboring countries, such as Syria, closing their borders would mean even more of the displaced would only be able to get as far as other parts of Iraq. On Thursday, the U.N. refugee agency appealed to the European Union to do more to protect refugees fleeing Iraq, saying the war was the cause of the biggest displacement of people in the Middle East in recent history.
Washington announced it will allow about 7,000 Iraqis into the United States this year, up from 202 in 2006, and will pay more to help Iraq's neighbors cope with the surge of refugees. As the bloodshed in Iraq has increased, European governments have come under increasing pressure to open their doors to asylum-seekers. Many are worried that an escalation in violence in 2007 could generate a fresh wave of refugees. The U.N. appeal came as the EU announced it would contribute $13 million more for Iraqi refugees. About 60 percent will go to help those who have fled to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
Labels: displaced people, EU, humanitarian, IOM, refugees, U.N.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
UNHCR appeals for $60 million for Iraqi refugee crisis
Humanitarian
(AP) The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and Arab countries are struggling to absorb a flood of Iraqis fleeing the violence in their country. A look at the problem:
Overall, an estimated 3.8 million Iraqis have either fled the country or fled their homes and gone to other parts of Iraq, according to the U.N. Syria, which has taken in an estimated 1 million Iraqis, has just imposed new restrictions that could curb the flow of Iraqis into its territory in future. It was the last Arab country to take in large numbers. Jordan and Egypt, with 700,000 and 130,000 Iraqis respectively, had already previously signaled they would take no more Iraqis.
The U.N. estimates 40,000 to 50,000 people flee Iraq each month and have dwindling options of where to go. The U.N. classifies most Iraqis as having only "temporary protection status," rather than as permanent refugees - presumably because it assumes most will return to Iraq after the fighting ends.
This month, the Geneva-based UNHCR made an emergency appeal for $60 million to help fleeing Iraqis. The UNHCR said it hopes to permanently resettle this year up to 20,000 Iraqis who it considers the most vulnerable, including women, children, survivors of torture, the seriously ill and minorities. The United States has taken in 466 Iraqis since 2003, including 202 last year.
Overall, an estimated 3.8 million Iraqis have either fled the country or fled their homes and gone to other parts of Iraq, according to the U.N. Syria, which has taken in an estimated 1 million Iraqis, has just imposed new restrictions that could curb the flow of Iraqis into its territory in future. It was the last Arab country to take in large numbers. Jordan and Egypt, with 700,000 and 130,000 Iraqis respectively, had already previously signaled they would take no more Iraqis.
The U.N. estimates 40,000 to 50,000 people flee Iraq each month and have dwindling options of where to go. The U.N. classifies most Iraqis as having only "temporary protection status," rather than as permanent refugees - presumably because it assumes most will return to Iraq after the fighting ends.
This month, the Geneva-based UNHCR made an emergency appeal for $60 million to help fleeing Iraqis. The UNHCR said it hopes to permanently resettle this year up to 20,000 Iraqis who it considers the most vulnerable, including women, children, survivors of torture, the seriously ill and minorities. The United States has taken in 466 Iraqis since 2003, including 202 last year.
