GERMANY INCREASES CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASSIST IRAQI

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000421 SIPDIS STATE FOR PRM/ANE ADRIENNE NUTZMAN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2018 TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL IQ GM SUBJECT: GERMANY INCREASES CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASSIST IRAQI REFUGEES REF: A. STATE 30028 ¶B. BERLIN 325 Classified By: ACTING POL MC STAN OTTO. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) PolOff delivered Ref A points to Iraq Unit head Dr. Ruediger Lotz and desk officer Thomas Lenferding on March 31. Dr. Lotz expressed appreciation for the information and noted that in the coming days, a number of announcements regarding assistance for Iraqi refugees would be made. Lotz added that record numbers of Iraqis sought asylum in the EU in 2007, and that Germany had granted asylum to roughly 80% of them, despite the reduction in violence. He also reiterated earlier points (Ref B) that Germany has noted an increase in the number of illegal Iraqi immigrants arrested in the country last year, and that he expects the problem to increase during 2008. ¶2. (U) On April 2, the MFA announced that Germany would be increasing its financial assistance for Iraqi refugees by 2.5 million Euros. The funds will primarily be allocated to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to be used for refugees in Syria and Jordan, as well as for IDPs living in Iraq. This brings Germany's total financial contribution for Iraqi refugee assistance to 3.7 million Euros in 2008. ¶3. (C) In a conversation April 3, Lenferding stated that roughly one million Euros will be allocated to the refugee work of the ICRC, along with a number of German NGOs. The money will be used for projects in Syria and Jordan in the health care sector as well as providing refugees with food and household goods directly. Regarding IDPs, Lenferding said the MFA has allocated money to the communities to provide medical support as well as water and food supply assistance. When asked if the lack of official German personnel on the ground in Iraq made the delivery of such assistance difficult, Lenferding demurred. ¶4. (SBU) Lenferding went on to confirm reports that the German government is considering a special refugee status for a large number (perhaps as many as 30,000) of Iraqi Christians who are currently being persecuted in Iraq. In the past days, both the Council of Protestant Churches and the Catholic Church in Germany have made pleas for action to assist this minority to escape the "ethnic cleansing" currently occurring in Iraq. This matter will be taken up by the Bundestag (Parliament) Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid on April 9. Post will report on any future decisions as appropriate. TIMKEN JR