ICRC ON PROTECTION OF IRAQIS IN JORDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003100 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR NEA AND PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREF IZ JO SUBJECT: ICRC ON PROTECTION OF IRAQIS IN JORDAN REF: AMMAN 3085 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provides protection for Iraqis in Jordan by monitoring Iraqi detainees and conducting tracing activities to reunite families separated by conflict. ICRC conducts prison visits for Iraqis detained for reasons of state security, and aims to increase its efforts to monitor detention of Iraqis arrested for "common law" violations. ICRC is negotiating with Jordan's Ministry of Interior to gain regular access to border facilities in order to monitor deportations and plans to establish an office in Trebil, on the Iraqi side of the border, to increase access to Iraqi deportees. Although nearly all Iraqi families in Jordan have tracing needs, ICRC is not yet reaching out aggressively to offer tracing services because it is unable to conduct active tracing on the ground in Iraq. ICRC does not see a role for the Iraqi Red Crescent to operate in Jordan. END SUMMARY. IRAQIS IN DETENTION -------------- ¶2. (C) TDY RefCoord met July 22 with ICRC/Jordan Protection Coordinator Mona Sadek to discuss protection issues for Iraqis in Jordan, specifically detention and family reunification/tracing activities (ICRC's protection focus areas). ICRC visits Iraqis in detention as part of its broader monitoring of detainees in Jordan, the majority of whom are Palestinian. ICRC is currently aware of nine Iraqis detained for reasons of state security, including eight in the 10 prisons run by Jordan's Public Security Directorate (PSD),and one detained by the General Intelligence Directorate (GID). According to ICRC, the average number of arrests of Iraqis for reasons of state security hovered around 30 during 2000-2004, but doubled in 2005 (presumably after the Amman hotel bombings). In 2006, the total number of Iraqis arrested for reasons of state security was 132. ICRC said that only a small percentage of those arrested go on to face criminal charges and trial; the remainder are deported. ¶3. (C) ICRC aims to increase its efforts to monitor detention of Iraqis arrested for "common law" violations, such as petty theft, illegal employment, etc., and is working closely with UNHCR to intervene on behalf of Iraqis without UNHCR asylum seeker registration documents but with serious protection concerns to prevent their deportation. Sadek said that most Iraqis arrested for "common law" violations are detained in police stations or other facilities for only a short time before being deported. Acknowledging the difficulty of getting an accurate picture of the scale of Iraqi detentions, Sadek said she has heard estimates of 50-200 Iraqi detentions per week, and that there are currently approximately 6,300 Iraqis detained for "common law" violations. Sadek said ICRC is negotiating with Jordan's Ministry of Interior to gain regular access to border facilities in order to monitor deportations. She also noted that ICRC's Iraq Delegation plans to establish an office in Trebil to increase access to Iraqi deportees. FAMILY REUNIFICATION EFFORTS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Sadek said that nearly all Iraqi families in Jordan have tracing needs, but that ICRC has not received many tracing requests from Iraqis - in part because of Iraqis' fear of exposure, and in part because ICRC is not yet reaching out aggressively to offer tracing services because it is unable to conduct active tracing on the ground in Iraq. ICRC/Jordan works with delegations in Syria and Yemen to reunite families, and refers non-conflict-related cases to the Jordanian Red Crescent (JRC),which has a small tracing office. ICRC/Jordan's protection division includes six detention delegates and three tracing officers; Sadek said that the delegation does not plan to increase staffing despite the growing Iraqi caseload. JORDAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY -------------- ¶5. (SBU) ICRC's annual partnership agreement with the Jordanian Red Crescent includes three components: 1) family links; 2) mine risk education; and 3) information dissemination regarding the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. The JRC consults ICRC on agreements with all non-movement AMMAN 00003100 002 OF 002 partners, including the JRC's agreement with UNHCR to provide health care and counseling to registered Iraqi asylum seekers. JRC also has agreements with MSF-France, MSF-Holland, the French Red Cross and the German Red Cross to provide medical assistance to Iraqis. Sadek said she does not see a role for the Iraqi Red Crescent to operate in Jordan. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ Hale