UPDATE ON IRAQIS IN JORDAN - JULY 19

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003085 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, PRM, S/I E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREF SOCI IZ JO SUBJECT: UPDATE ON IRAQIS IN JORDAN - JULY 19 REF: A. AMMAN 3080 ¶B. AMMAN 2964 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. AMMAN 2981 ¶D. AMMAN 3042 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Government of Jordan decision this week that Iraqi children - regardless of legal residency status - will be permitted to enroll in school for the coming academic year is a major breakthrough (ref A),but still unannounced and closely held. Although GOJ border tightening has recently affected some Iraqis traveling to Amman for interviews for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) or refugee resettlement in the United States, there are signs of potential progress in this area as well. The Iraq Neighbors' Working Group on Refugees will be held in Amman on July 26; the Government of Jordan issued invitations July 19. END SUMMARY. EDUCATION ACCESS FOR IRAQIS -------------- ¶2. (C) Ref A reports the GOJ's July 18 decision to permit Iraqi children to enroll in school in the coming academic year, regardless of residency status. Embassy has urged the GOJ to announce this decision soon in order to allow donor assistance programs to begin implementation before school starts on August 19. ¶3. (SBU) UNHCR can now presumably put aside alternative programming strategies it had been developing, such as shifting funds to Syria or shifting from formal school programs to recreational and non-formal education activities. PRM's NGO partners remained determined to move forward with program implementation. However, PRM partner Relief International told TDY RefCoord that in a July 18 meeting, the GOJ Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had threatened to shut down international NGO programs that offer services to Iraqis, specifically naming other PRM partners Save the Children and Mercy Corps. Comment: Post will follow up with Relief International and other NGOs in coming days to see whether the GOJ's policy decision on education access improves the tone of their discussions with MSD. End comment. GOJ TIGHTENS PORTS OF ENTRY -------------- ¶4. (C) While Post has reported for some time that Jordan's land borders are largely closed to Iraqis, particularly those aged 18-35, recent weeks appear to have shown further tightening of both land and air ports of entry for nearly all Iraqis, including some of interest to the USG. However, on July 19 Ambassador established new procedures with the GOJ to facilitate entry of cases in which there is a high USG interest, such as the 425 translator SIV cases. Embassy Amman's Civil Affairs Liaison Team (CALT) estimates that the number of Iraqis attempting to enter each day at Karama land border crossing has slowed to a trickle in recent months - from several hundred Iraqi individuals to roughly one dozen. The vast majority of those few still seeking entry at Karama are turned back by Jordanian officials, with rare exceptions for children with medical emergencies and (sometimes) a guardian. IRAQIS IN DETENTION -------------- ¶5. (C) UNHCR's Deputy Representative in Jordan described the situation of registered Iraqis in detention to TDY RefCoord. UNHCR is able to track detention cases of Iraqis whom it has registered as asylum seekers, but the agency has little information (beyond anecdotes) about detention of Iraqis without UNHCR registration documents. UNHCR is currently advocating for the release from detention of roughly 40 registered Iraqi asylum seekers, and described this as a typical caseload. UNHCR noted that GOJ authorities occasionally have arrested Iraqis waiting outside the agency's Amman office. According to UNHCR, GOJ authorities do not always provide a clear reason for arresting Iraqis; however, the most common charges include trying to convert others to Shi'ism, illegal employment, and visa overstay. UNHCR said it is usually successful in negotiating the release of registered Iraqis detained on such charges. A small number of registered Iraqis detained on more serious criminal charges, such as drug or organ t rafficking, present more challenging cases. UNHCR is planning a series of training sessions for Jordanian police AMMAN 00003085 002 OF 002 and detention officials to raise their awareness of UNHCR registration documents and the protection these documents should afford. IRAQ NEIGHBORS' WORKING GROUP ON REFUGEES -------------- ¶6. (C) Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued invitations to the Iraq Neighbors' Working Group on Refugees to be held in Amman on July 26. (The July 26 date supersedes previous dates provided by the GOJ (July 29) and GOI (July 22) per refs B and C.) Post awaits instructions from the Department about whether to seek an invitation from the GOJ. ¶7. (C) On July 17, Jordan's MFA confirmed to TDY RefCoord newspaper reports that the GOJ is preparing a policy paper on Iraqis' status in Jordan to be presented to the Iraq Neighbors' Working Group on Refugees. The policy paper is expected to include the GOJ's official estimate of the number of Iraqis in Jordan, which would draw on results of the recent FAFO survey, but also consider other data sources as well. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ Hale