UPDATE ON IRAQIS IN JORDAN - JUNE 28

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002784 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA AND PRM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PGOV SOCI EAID JO IZ SUBJECT: UPDATE ON IRAQIS IN JORDAN - JUNE 28 REF: A. AMMAN 2640 ¶B. AMMAN 2564 ¶C. AMMAN 2458 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Jordan will host a neighbors' conference in July about Iraqi refugees. UNICEF, UNHCR, the USG and NGOs continue to prepare to assist the GOJ educate Iraqi schoolchildren in Jordan, but await a GOJ mechanism to approve and implement them. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has not yet convened its full Inter-ministerial Steering Committee on Iraqi Education; Ambassador will encourage follow-through with Minister of Education Touqan upon his return to the country on June 30. Several NGOs await PRM funding decisions on proposals submitted to PRM on June 22. On the admissions front, the DHS circuit ride ending June 26 interviewed 36 cases, and a longer two-month circuit ride begins June 27 that targets significantly more case interviews by August. END SUMMARY. Jordan to host Iraqi neighbors' conference on refugees -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) According to June 27 Jordanian press reports (later confirmed by Foreign Minister Abdelelah Al Khatib to visiting A/S Welch and Ambassador),Jordan will host a conference in July for countries hosting Iraqis who have fled Iraq. The Jordan Times and Petra News Agency reported that the decision to host the conference was made at a June 25 meeting between FM Khatib and visiting Iraqi FM Hoshyar Zebari in Amman. NOTE: Embassy is following up with GOJ contacts regarding the specific date, intended participants and observers, and will report information as soon as available. END NOTE. Education -------------- ¶3. (SBU) UNICEF chaired a donor/NGO coordination meeting on June 25 to discuss summer readiness programs, surveying schools, and programs to address psychosocial issues. UNICEF began referring to these programs as "camps" and offered recreation kits (with volleyballs, basketballs and jump ropes) and school-supply kits to any NGO that implements a summer camp. It remains unclear how many camps will emerge, and several organizations noted they are awaiting PRM funding decisions for proposals submitted in June 22. The International Relief Committee announced its intention to use independent funds to partner with Questscope for a six-month extracurricular program with seven community-based organizations (five in Amman, one in Zarqa, and one in Irbid) targeted at Iraqi youth aged 10-18. Save the Children (StC) will launch its PRM-funded "Taleem" program with AMIDEAST for youths aged 14-24 on July 1. ¶4. (SBU) As of June 27, the MoE had not convened the proposed Steering Committee for Iraqi Education. UNICEF Emergency Coordinator Sharazade Boulia told poloff that the MoE intended to hold a GOJ-only working group on June 26, though no international, bilateral, or non-governmental donors were invited. UNICEF continues to press for an initial meeting of the complete Steering Committee, but the ministry has yet to respond. Ambassador will follow up with Minister of Education Khalid Touqan upon the latter's return to the country on June 30 to press for rapid convening of the committee. ¶5. (SBU) Camp, Dresser and McKee (CDM),the USAID contractor mapping Jordanian schools, completed an initial survey of schools in Amman, Zarqa and Rusaifa. CDM identified 76 schools in Amman, 24 schools in Rusaifa, and 18 schools in Zarqa that are single-shifted and not considered overcrowded, i.e., the average number of students in a classroom is less than 37. By July 5, they expect to have additional details on enrollments in each of these areas, and to identify schools that could be expanded or renovated to accommodate additional students. ¶6. (U) Questscope, an NGO that developed non-formal education (NFE) curricula in Jordan, reported that last week the Ministry of Education approved its NFE certificate program. After the completion of the Questscope program, students may test with the GOJ and receive a certificate indicating completion of tenth grade studies. Thereafter, they may enroll in vocational training or pursue home-study to later test for the Jordanian Tawjihi exams. NOTE: The Ministry of Education confirmed NGO claims that students that have been outside of a formal education system for more than three years are not permitted to re-enter the Jordanian public school system. Iraqis who lack evidence of previous educational study may encounter difficulties proving that AMMAN 00002784 002 OF 002 they have not been out of school for this length of time. END NOTE. ¶7. (SBU) A UNHCR education representative told poloff that UNCHR plans to conduct a series of focus groups with Iraqis the week of July 1 in the areas of education, health, protection and livelihood. UNHCR expects the focus groups to include 40 Iraqis and take two days as part of an annual global UNHCR initiative to assess the impact and equity of its programs. Admissions -------------- ¶8. (SBU) According to TDY REFCOORD, a recent Department of Homeland Security "circuit ride" completed screening of 36 cases through June 26, representing approximately 70 individuals in total. Of the 32 that had been reviewed by a team leader, 25 were conditionally approved, three were denied, three were placed on hold for non-waivable material support, and one was pending further review. Many of these cases were emergency cases that had been evacuated from Iraq for medical treatment. ¶9. (U) IOM will deploy its Employment Verification Unit on Sunday, July 1. Iraqis who believe they qualify for admissions to the U.S. under the Direct Access program can begin contacting IOM directly to schedule appointments to assess their eligibility. ¶10. (SBU) A new team of six DHS interviewers arrived in Amman on June 26 to begin the next circuit ride that continues through August 1. IOM has constructed four interview booths in its new facilities in Amman, and expects that DHS adjudicators will be able to interview approximately 16 cases per day or 80 cases per week. ¶11. (SBU) IOM Chief of Mission Rafiq Tschannen told acting Polcouns that the GOJ will often waive standard overstay fines for those Iraqis who have overstayed their visas or permitted residency periods in Jordan, provided they agree not to return to Jordan for a period of five years. He noted that a number of Iraqis who are currently being denied entry to Jordan are those that have previously overstayed a visa and departed with a waiver of these fines. ¶12. (U) Tschannen also said that IOM currently has 400-500 files ready for interview at the IOM offices in Amman. They currently have capacity to process 50 cases per week. IOM plans to double its staff and thereby process 140 cases per week by the end of July. Currently it receives approximately 100 cases/week from UNHCR in Amman. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ Hale