STAFFDEL WELLS EXAMINES CONDITIONS OF IRAQIS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 AMMAN 004816 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR NEA AND PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2022 TAGS: PREF PGOV SOCI EAID JO IZ SY SUBJECT: STAFFDEL WELLS EXAMINES CONDITIONS OF IRAQIS AND RESETTLEMENT EFFORTS IN JORDAN REF: A. AMMAN 4793 ¶B. AMMAN 4790 ¶C. AMMAN 4773 ¶D. AMMAN 4737 ¶E. AMMAN 4560 ¶F. AMMAN 3657 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: During their five-day visit to Jordan, Staffdel Wells spoke with senior GOJ officials, refugee processing agencies, and NGOs in an effort to (1) better understanding the socioeconomic situation of Iraqi refugees in Jordan; (2) review refugee processing efforts and outcomes; and (3) determine what additional assistance might be needed. The staffers visited single-room dwellings, clinics and Jordanian schools hosting Iraqis to see first-hand the needs of the most-vulnerable Iraqis. Refugee advocates stressed the diminishing financial resources available to Iraqis and the growing need for cash assistance to pay for rent and food. The Ministers of Planning, Education and Foreign Affairs (acting) expressed the GOJ's continued willingness to open public services to Iraqis - but requested additional U.S. support to the tune of USD 500-600 million in bearing this burden (ref B). Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh reiterated Jordan's position that Iraq's assistance pledge should be channeled through existing UN institutions. UNHCR and IOM described their efforts throughout the past year to exponentially increase capacity to register, refer, assist and process Iraqis. End Summary. GOJ: IRAQIS REMAIN WELCOME, BUT WE NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Newly re-appointed Minister of Planning Suhair al-Ali described Jordan's development context and the myriad political reforms undertaken by the preceding parliament in a November 26 meeting. Ali described the continued pressure on Jordan's budget, which she primarily ascribed to rising oil prices. Despite these challenges, Jordan was accommodating Iraqis in public schools and health facilities - at a cost borne primarily by the GOJ. She previewed a forthcoming request to the United States (ref B) for supplemental funding of between USD 500 and 600 million to offset some of Jordan's costs of hosting Iraqis. Ali further requested the delegation's support in stabilizing Jordan's budget by increasing baseline ESF assistance to USD 450 million. ¶3. (C) Naser Judeh, State Minister for Media and Community and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs (while FM Saleh Al-Bashir was attending the Annapolis Conference) discussed the challenges Iraqis pose to Jordan during a November 27 conversation. Alluding to demand on Jordanian resources, Judeh said that Iraqis "don't come to Jordan carrying a bucket of water on their shoulders." According to Judeh, Jordan has done "it's fair share and perhaps a bit more," citing its opening of public schools and health care facilities at rates equivalent to that of non-insured Jordanian. Judeh stated that Jordan's borders remain open but regulated - tying the issue to security which "no one can ask us to compromise on." Judeh stressed the effects of increased global oil prices on the Jordanian budget and expressed his appreciation for U.S. assistance to cope with a dire situation. Judeh noted that many Americans don't appreciate how small Jordan is - and that even the revised estimate of 500,000 Iraqis represents nearly 9 percent of Jordan's population. ¶4. (SBU) For its part, Staffdel Wells acknowledged the warm, long-standing U.S.-Jordan relationship, Jordan's generosity in opening its schools, health care system and borders to Iraqis, and the GOJ's cooperation with NGOs working with Iraqis. The delegation told Judeh that it recognized the pressures and costs facing the GOJ. When asked directly if the GOJ could make a broader, indefinite commitment to educating Iraqis, Judeh replied that the Cabinet's summer decision to admit Iraqis into public schools did not specify an end date. When asked if progress had been made on negotiating the mechanics of the GOI's $8 million transfer to assist Iraqis in Jordan (ref E),he reiterated the long-standing GOJ position that dispersal should be through UN agencies currently operating in Jordan. ¶5. (C) Judeh remarked that Jordan has always been a haven for people escaping harsh realities, and maintained that Iraqis will return to Iraq - illustrating his point by describing a local television program where nearly forty Iraqis in the audience raised their hand when he asked if they wanted to return to Iraq. He acknowledged the preeminent role of UNHCR AMMAN 00004816 002 OF 004 despite their lexicological differences over the term "refugee." Judeh said that Jordan was "not in the business of collective punishment," expressed his hope that Iraqis will regularize their status, and described the leniency of the government with regards to enforcement of residency regulations. ¶6. (SBU) On November 27, new Minister of Education (and former Ministry Secretary-General) Tayseer Al-Nuemi discussed Jordanian educational reforms and the integration of approximately 24,000 Iraqis in Jordanian schools (public and private). According to Nuemi, UNHCR and UNICEF funding constitutes a "small" portion of the MoE's budget. Nuemi reported that the ministry's public schools had not experienced major issues with the integration of Iraqis into the schools, though they remain committed to resolving individual cases and bottlenecks. Iraqi students, he said, are treated the same as Jordanians in poorer (and rural areas) - for instance having access to nutritional programs where they exist. In response to the delegation's concern that Iraqi enrollment might be a temporary measure, Nuemi replied that there were no discussions, in any circle, to revert to the GOJ's previous policy of admitting only Iraqis with legal status. The Ministry, he said, did not expect a sizeable increasQin new Iraqi students during the next academic year, but based on Jordan's own demographic pressures, they project a 2 percent increase in public school enrollment. ¶7. (SBU) According to Nuemi, the MoE opened and intends to expand its literacy programs for older students to Iraqis - but he deferred on the question of vocational training programs that are managed by the Ministry of Labor. He agreed with the delegation that NGOs need to expand and diversify their programs. ¶8. (SBU) Subsequently, the delegation visited Tatbeeqat boys school in Amman, where the school headmaster said that due to the high population density of the neighborhood and already high demand, they could not accept all Iraqis who wanted to register, but had enrolled 23 Iraqi students this year. Others were placed on a waiting list or directed to nearby schools. The head of Amman 1 Directorate (equivalent to a superintendent) explained that he issued a directive to all 150 schools requiring them to register and help integrate Iraqi students. At the Tatbeeqat School, the headmaster and a group of teachers reported generally positive relations between Jordanian and Iraqi students, that Iraqi students were often excellent pupils, and that some were driven to catch up in areas such as English language learning where Iraqi and Jordanian curricula differ. They expressed their appreciation for their school's USAID-supported expansion that will begin in January. REGISTRATION AND RESETTLEMENT EFFORTS CONTINUE -------------- - ¶9. (SBU) Staffdel Wells observed three refugee interviews on November 27, toured the IOM processing facility and discussed with IOM and DHS circuit-riders the ongoing processing efforts. The delegation expressed its frustration with USG admission numbers in October, and pressed IOM on ways to increase processing speed - particularly for vulnerable cases and unaccompanied minors. IOM stressed that they have designed an infrastructure and a system capable both of processing large numbers of Iraqi refugees and of adapting to changing USG needs (e.g. expansion of the P2 category or greater use of NGO referral criteria). ¶10. (C) On November 26, Staffdel wells toured the UNHCR Jordan office, observed case registration, and met with Representative Imran Riza. Riza explained how UNHCR has ramped up its efforts since early 2007 with a five-fold increase in staff and budget. Riza emphasized that UNHCR has built an effective and efficient registration and referral system (wait time for an appointment has decreased to only two days). UNHCR, he assured the staffdel, could continue to refer cases to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), but noted that the situation of cases in Syria may be more dire. Riza emphasized that UNHCR has already met its 2007 goals of referring 7,500 Iraqis to the U.S. for resettlement, including nearly 5,000 from Jordan. UNHCR is continuing to expand its outreach efforts - while offsite registration remains a non-starter with the GOJ, they have established a mobile unit that will schedule appointments and transport Iraqis to UNHCR Jordan's West Amman office to eliminate remaining barriers to registration. When asked the proportion of cases referred to the U.S. solely on the basis of their USG affiliation, he demurred, noted that most referrals exhibit multiple vulnerability criteria, and AMMAN 00004816 003.3 OF 004 cautioned that focusing solely on the U.S. affiliation could unhelpful, particularly in dealing with the Syrian government. ¶11. (C) Riza affirmed that the GOJ generally respects the 1998 MOU, including granting UNHCR regular access to Iraqis who are detained by police or security forces. When asked if UNHCR has considered renegotiating the MOU to expand protection and the duration of six-month asylum-seeker status granted to most UNHCR-registered Iraqis, Riza affirmed UNHCR's desire to explore new terms, but realized frankly that the GOJ has no desire to reconsider its commitments at present. Staffdel Wells expressed its concern that processing of minor children who have lost both parents was a priority - and Riza assured them this was the type of case that though infrequent, they expedite - reducing their regular registration-to-referral time from weeks to days. HOW IRAQIS ARE SURVIVING IN JORDAN -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The Staffdel sought to view circumstances through Iraqi eyes by meeting with three families in their one- and two-room structures - abutments to an existing building and hastily erected rooms on a rooftop - with leaky roofs and exposure to the cold. They described their difficulties making ends meet -stipends from Care are insufficient to cover rent, utilities, and food; ICMC-provided blankets, heaters and mattresses were in turn sold to pay bills. Women explained that they could more easily work odd jobs (sewing, waitressing, housekeeping, etc.) while men asserted that they could not work illegally for fear of deportation. Families said they occasionally receive remittances from abroad - but not regularly enough to depend upon. Staffdel Wells visited Jordanian Red Crescent (JRC) and Caritas clinics where free medical services are offered but were told anecdotally by Iraqis about the long wait for services. To address growing demands and needs, JRC's international coordinator Laura Smith descri bed efforts to transfer six doctors to its hospital, expand services, provide non-food items and partner with national Red Cross organizations to provide hygiene kits. ¶13. (SBU) Active NGOs (Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Care, and International Medical Corps) described the range of social services they offer Iraqis in Jordan during a joint roundtable with Representative McCollum (ref A). After McCollum departed, they urged staffers to use their meetings with GOJ officials to urge a public statement that "as long as the Iraqis are in Jordan they will be welcome in public schools" to eliminate uncertainty and allow UNICEF and NGOs to better mobilize resources and encourage enrollment for the 2008 school year. ¶14. (C) ICRC Head of Delegation Paul Castella identified key ICRC concerns and initiatives to protect Iraqi refugees: (1) the possibility of inter-communal Iraqi-Jordanian social tensions based on security and economic fears; (2) constraints in communicating with the Iraqi population, which according to ICRC is dispersed, hard to find, and afraid to share information; and (3) the systematic vulnerability of Iraqis living without residency permits. Castella praised the recently published FAFO report as the first coherent indicator to assess the needs of the Iraqi population, and expressed his hope that recent discussion of regularization would provide additional legal protection to Iraqis. Due to continued Iraqi mistrust of government, though, Castella was skeptical about the number of Iraqis that would come forward. ¶15. (C) Castella described ICRC's protection work and regular visits to prisons and General Intelligence Directorate (GID) detention facilities. ICRC informs UNHCR of vulnerable Iraqis they encounter who do not want to return to Iraq. Castella was unable to comment with certainty on the frequency of deportations, but said he suspected that some deportations continue. ICRC explained that they are in the prolonged process of negotiating with the Ministry of Interior access to the Borders and Residency Department, which holds Iraqis prior to deportation. Castella expressed concern that Iraqi Shi'a living in Jordan have no place to worship, and Deputy Head of Mission Gordon Bates again raised the issue of the 193 Iranian Kurds living between the Iraqi and Jordanian borders (ref F). THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE IRAQIS ON JORDAN -------------- ¶16. (SBU) To better understand the economic impact of Iraqis on Jordan, the delegation met with Ibrahim Saif, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies. Saif explained that AMMAN 00004816 004 OF 004 Jordanians generally perceive Iraqis as being wealthy and highly visible, whether in West Amman's shopping malls or driving late-model Mercedes. Saif recounted his July study which concluded that Iraqis were responsible for less than 1.5 percent of all land transactions in Jordan. Instead, Saif identified Gulf petrodollar investment as the culprit for rising land prices, and blamed inflation on a combination of rising international prices -- especially commodities such as oil and grains - and diminishing value of the dollar to which the Jordanian dinar remains pegged. According to Saif, fewer than 2,000 Iraqis hold valid work permits - compared to more than 200,000 Egyptians (ref C). Saif said that Iraqi deposits only marginally affected liquidity - Jordanian banks were already highly liquid. He opined that, even if the GOJ regularized status and allowed Iraqis to work, there will remain a number of closed sectors (e.g. teaching, medicine, and engineering) because they are regulated by Jordanian unions and professional associations. ¶17. (SBU) Saif reported that he will engage with an unnamed Syrian partner to write a similar study on the economic impacts of Iraqis in Syria at the behest of the World Bank - which he expects will be completed by April 2008. Saif expressed some concerns about the quality of the available data in Syria, but ultimately believed that his methodology (e.g. reviewing public land registries) will keep him on sufficiently solid economic and statistical ground. ¶18. (U) Staffdel Wells did not have an opportunity to clear this cable prior to departure from Jordan. Hale