SYRIAN MFA RESPONDS POSITIVELY ON EXPANDING IRAQI

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000496 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL SY IZ SUBJECT: SYRIAN MFA RESPONDS POSITIVELY ON EXPANDING IRAQI REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT REF: DAMASCUS 453 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael Corbin, per 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Following up on Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues James Foley's June 24-26 visit (reftel), Husam Alaa, MFA Chief of Staff for D/FM Faisal Mikdaad, told Charge July 16 the SARG had decided to respond favorably on increased resettlement for Iraqi refugees. He reported the SARG had approved the hiring of additional Syrian staff and leasing of a new building for conducting DHS circuit rider interviews so long as the facility was under UNHCR auspices. Alaa said the SARG preferred to see IOM training accomplished outside Syria, but when pressed, he replied the SARG would approve short training visits on a case-by-case basis. Alaa said IOM would not be allowed to bring in a foreign deputy but noted he would explore the possibility of periodic visits on a case-by-case basis. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Charge met D/FM Faisal Mikdaad's Chief of Staff July 16 to follow-up discussions between Mikdaad and Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues James Foley on the possibility of expanding Iraqi refugee resettlement operations in Syria (reftel.) Alaa reported the SARG had decided to approve expanded Iraqi refugee resettlement by the U.S. from Syria. In particular, Alaa said the SARG had no objections to IOM's hiring of addition Syrian staff or establishing a medical exam unit within IOM. The SARG also had no problem with allowing bigger DHS circuit rider teams as long as they complied with the current arrangement, Alaa stated. ¶3. (C) Alaa stated the SARG had agreed to leasing of additional office space for reprocessing operations (currently done in UNHCR Headquarters here) so long as the building remained under UNHCR auspices. He said the details would need to be worked out, but as long as it was under an &UNHCR flag,8 there was no problem. The SARG would leave it to the Embassy to work out details with UNHCR. Charge noted we might want to lease the building rather than have UNHCR do it, and Alaa said he did not see a problem with that (comment: we did not specify we meant IOM but we think we can finesse that later.) Alaa said we would need to address security and other issues (probably UNHCR vice IOM guards.) ¶4. (C) Alaa said the SARG would most likely reject the hiring of a Damascus-based, international staff member (for the IOM deputy position). When Charge pushed back, Alaa agreed to check whether there might be a willingness to consider TDY visits to Damascus by the deputy. Alaa recounted the SARG's resistance to IOM and strongly advised that pushing too hard would rekindle deep resentment of IOM in some quarters. ¶5. (C) Charge pressed Alaa to expedite issuance of visas for the next DHS circuit rider team. Alaa promised to do would he could on this matter. ¶6. (C) Comment: Alaa left us with the unmistakable impression that the SARG recognized the importance of this issue to the USG and this was the basis for the decision to allow expansion of Iraqi refugee resettlement operations. Embassy will follow up with UNHCR, IOM, and PRM. CORBIN