Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04AMMAN1604
2004-03-02 16:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

UNHCR REPEATS REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN RESETTLING

Tags:  PREF PREL KPAL KWBG IS IZ JO UNRWA UNHCR 
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021617Z Mar 04
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 001604 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA AND PRM FRONT OFFICES; GENEVA FOR RMA; CPA
BAGHDAD FOR MODM/J. JOHNSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2014
TAGS: PREF PREL KPAL KWBG IS IZ JO UNRWA UNHCR
SUBJECT: UNHCR REPEATS REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN RESETTLING
IRAQI-PALESTINIANS

REF: AMMAN 1334

Classified By: Ambassador Gnehm per 1.5 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 001604

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA AND PRM FRONT OFFICES; GENEVA FOR RMA; CPA
BAGHDAD FOR MODM/J. JOHNSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2014
TAGS: PREF PREL KPAL KWBG IS IZ JO UNRWA UNHCR
SUBJECT: UNHCR REPEATS REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN RESETTLING
IRAQI-PALESTINIANS

REF: AMMAN 1334

Classified By: Ambassador Gnehm per 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary and Action Request: In a February 26 meeting
with refcoord, UNHCR Middle East Director Radhouane Nouicer
repeated previous requests (ref) for assistance in finding
durable solutions for 348 Iraqi-Palestinians in Ruweished,
Jordan. While UNHCR policy remains focused on finding
regional solutions (a "return" to the West Bank and Gaza,
return to Iraq or resettlement in the region),Nouicer said
prospects for a regional solution are becoming slim and UNHCR
must consider resettlement outside the region. In a separate
discussion, Israeli DCM Danny Nevo confirmed that the GOI
refused to allow the "return" of Iraqi-Palestinians to the
West Bank and Gaza but might be willing to consider small
numbers of "family reunification" cases if the Palestinian
Authority provided appropriate assurances. UNRWA Deputy
ComGen Karen AbuZayd expressed surprise that UNHCR was
pursuing return or resettlement options, telling refcoord the
two refugee agencies had agreed only to make a joint approach
to the GOJ, asking that the Iraqi-Palestinians be allowed to
reside indefinitely in Jordan. UNHCR's proposals for this
group would require a change in U.S. policy toward
Palestinian refugees, which has left questions of return or
resettlement for final status talks. We reminded Nouicer of
long-standing U.S. policy and informed him that any response
must come from Washington. We request that the Department
provide guidance on UNHCR's proposals to "return" or resettle
Iraqi-Palestinians outside the region. End summary and
action request.

--------------
UNHCR: Regional Solution Unlikely,
Need to Consider "Return" or Resettlement
--------------


2. (C) In a February 26 meeting with refcoord, UNHCR Middle
East Director Radhouane Nouicer requested U.S. assistance in
finding solutions for the 348 Iraqi-Palestinians who fled to

Jordan last year and remain in UNHCR's Ruweished refugee
camp. Nouicer, who was in Amman for UNHCR-UNRWA
consultations on Iraqi-Palestinians, visited UNHCR camps at
Ruweished and the Iraqi-Jordanian border on February 25.
While UNHCR policy is to find durable solutions for
Iraqi-Palestinians in the region, Nouicer believes the
possibilities for a regional solution are becoming
increasingly slim. UNHCR's first preference (and reportedly
that of the Iraqi-Palestinians themselves) is to "return" the
Iraqi-Palestinians to the West Bank or Gaza under UN
Resolution 194. UNHCR has made repeated requests for Israeli
assistance in facilitating this return but Nouicer admitted
these efforts were unlikely to be successful. Israel, he
acknowledged, would be unlikely to agree to any movement of
Palestinians under UN Resolution 194 but UNHCR had "no
choice" but to couch its request in terms of the resolution.
Nouicer and UNHCR Jordan Representative Sten Bronee asked
again for U.S. assistance in arranging discussions between
Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authorities to find
solutions for this group.


3. (C) Absent a "return" to the West Bank or Gaza, the only
regional solutions for these Iraqi-Palestinians would be a) a
return to Iraq, their country of first asylum; b)
resettlement in Jordan; or c) resettlement in another Arab
country. Under current circumstances, Nouicer said, UNHCR
could not advocate a return to Iraq for this group of
refugees. Neither UNHCR nor CPA believes the time is right
for assisted returns and UNHCR could not expect
Iraqi-Palestinians to return without a "significant"
reintegration package. The Iraqi-Palestinians who fled to
Jordan lost their homes and jobs and were still in danger
from what Nouicer termed growing anti-Palestinian sentiment
in Iraq. Moreover, UNHCR was not in a position to assist any
group of returnees in Iraq.


4. (C) While return to Iraq remains impossible, Nouicer
continued, the GOJ is growing increasingly anxious for a
solution for this new caseload. Minister of Interior
Habashneh told UNHCR on February 25 that the GOJ would not
allow these remaining Iraqi-Palestinians to become permanent
residents of Jordan. The GOJ had done its part by admitting
the 386 Iraqi-Palestinians with family ties to Jordan and
could not be expected to absorb still more Palestinian
refugees. (With 1.7 million UNRWA-registered Palestinian
refugees, Jordan is host to the largest refugee population in
the region.) And with instability continuing in Iraq, the
GOJ could not risk the "pull factor" that would inevitably
result if it allowed Iraqi-Palestinians to seek permanent
refuge in Jordan. Nouicer said UNHCR would again approach
Arab states (Saudi Arabia, the UAE and "a poor state" as
well) to request that they grant permanent residency to the
Iraqi-Palestinians. Nouicer was doubtful that any Arab
states would consider Palestinians for resettlement.


5. (C) Absent any viable regional solutions, Nouicer said
UNHCR was forced to consider resettlement for the
Iraqi-Palestinians outside the region. Admitting that
resettlement of large numbers of Palestinians from an UNRWA
area of operation (Jordan) would constitute a departure from
long-standing Palestinian refugee policy, Nouicer believes
the humanitarian considerations outweigh the likely negative
political reaction to such a change. Nouicer also argued
that that UNHCR could, in fact, resettle Palestinian refugees
from an UNRWA area of operation as long as those refugees
were neither registered with UNRWA nor receiving assistance
or protection from that agency. The Iraqi-Palestinians in
Ruweished fit that category, but only because UNRWA has not
made any effort to register that group. Nouicer said UNRWA
expressed concerns that the Iraqi-Palestinians would not have
the documentation necessary to prove their UNRWA eligibility
and that the agency physically would not be able to conduct
registration exercises outside its established offices.

--------------
UNRWA Not Ready to Consider Resettlement
--------------


6. (C) In a February 26 telcon, UNRWA Deputy Commissioner
General Karen AbuZayd expressed surprise that UNHCR had again
raised resettlement as an option for the Iraqi-Palestinians
in Ruweished. AbuZayd said UNRWA and UNHCR had agreed only
that they should make a joint approach to the GOJ, requesting
that it grant temporary protection to the Iraqi-Palestinians
and allow them to reside indefinitely in Jordan, outside the
confines of the Ruweished refugee camp. While UNRWA listened
to UNHCR's arguments in favor of resettlement, it warned
UNHCR of the likely negative reaction to such a major change
in Palestinian refugee policy. On the very limited occasions
when individual Palestinians had approached UNHCR with
resettlement requests, AbuZayd said, UNRWA policy was neither
to interfere with nor encourage such requests. She added
that from a practical point of view, resettlement of
Iraqi-Palestinians from Jordan could prove to be a much
greater pull factor than mere admission of Iraqi-Palestinians
as residents of Jordan.

--------------
Israeli Position: No to "Return"
--------------


7. (C) In a separate February 26 meeting, Israeli DCM Danny
Nevo told refcoord that the GOI had refused UNHCR's request
to resettle the 348 Iraqi-Palestinians from Ruweished refugee
camp to the West Bank or Gaza. According to Nevo, UNHCR
committed a fatal error by framing its initial request for
Israeli assistance in terms of the Palestinians' right of
return under UN resolution 194. "We will never consider such
a request," Nevo said. Pressed by refcoord to identify any
circumstances under which Israel might allow
Iraqi-Palestinians to enter the West Bank and Gaza, Nevo said
Israel might be willing to consider very limited numbers of
"family reunification" cases, if UNHCR could demonstrate
close family links to the West Bank or Gaza, the Palestinian
family members were able to prove that their
Iraqi-Palestinian relatives could be fully supported by their
extended families and the Palestinian Authority formally
requested Israeli assistance in resolving this matter. Nevo
was doubtful that all three terms could be met, noting that
most Iraqi-Palestinians came from Haifa and, perhaps more
importantly, the Palestinian Authority has been conspicuously
silent on this issue. In addition, the fact that UNHCR had
publicized its request for "return" under UN Resolution 194
(distributed to resettlement countries and the press as part
of an aide memoire on this issue) did not make it likely the
GOI would be willing to consider a family reunification
request.

--------------
Action Request
--------------


8. (C) Nouicer agrees that a comprehensive solution for this
group is unlikely. Instead, he proposes to "chip away" at
the problem, pushing for "return" to the West Bank and Gaza
for limited numbers, return to Iraq for others, resettlement
in the region for still more and, if the U.S. agrees,
resettlement outside the region for the remainder. Refcoord
cautioned that movement of anything other than limited
numbers of Palestinian refugees with exceptional
vulnerabilities would constitute a major change in
Palestinian refugee policy, adding that the U.S. embassy
could not make such decisions on its own. She promised to
pass along UNHCR's proposals to Washington. As reported
previously, we believe that resettlement of any Palestinian
refugees would have negative political repercussions
throughout the region. We ask that the Department provide
guidance on UNHCR's proposals to "return" or resettle
Iraqi-Palestinians outside the region.


9. (U) CPA Baghdad minimize considered.
GNEHM