JORDAN--A/SCHWARTZ MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002670

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM/ANE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2019
TAGS: EAID PREF PREL JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN--A/SCHWARTZ MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER ON
IRAQIS IN JORDAN

Classified By: Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for reason
s 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. PRM Assistant Secretary Eric Schwartz met
with Jordan's Prime Minister, Nader Al-Dahabi, on November
17, 2009. They discussed several issues involving Iraqi
refugees, primarily the importance of allowing Iraqis to
return home for "look-see" visits while preserving their
right to return to Jordan should the situation dictate, and
extending legal immigration status of some kind to Iraqis in
Jordan. The GOJ raised the possibility of receiving USG
assistance to fund employment opportunities for certain
refugees to prevent acrimony should Iraqis be allowed to
enter the local labor force. At the conclusion of the
meeting, A/S Schwartz expressed U.S. concern over recent
deaths of two Jordanians in police custody that sparked
confrontations between Jordanian security forces and angry
citizens. A/S Schwartz was accompanied by Ambassador
Beecroft, PRM Special Assistant Elizabeth Drew, and Amman PRM
Consular Coordinator Rusty Ingraham. Also present were
Assistant to the PM Khalid Al-Qadi and Minister of Planning
Suheir Al-Ali. END SUMMARY

Visa Requirements Hamper Repatriation Efforts
--------------


2. (C) After discussing the importance of upcoming elections
in Iraq and Jordan's early and continuing support for the new
Iraq, the PM said that waves of Iraqis came to Jordan after

2003. Faced with a deteriorating security environment, Iraq
asked GOJ to impose a visa requirement and Jordan complied.
Despite the drain on scarce resources, Jordan contends that
its help for Iraqi refugees is generous and the PM praised
U.S. assistance to facilitate that work. A/S Schwartz
thanked the PM, but asked Jordan to do more. He acknowledged
the unpublished decision to permit Iraqi refugees in Jordan
to visit Iraq and return without paying overstay fines and
exit fees, but he also encouraged the PM to publicize the new
policy through NGOs and IOs, such as UNHCR. The PM specified
that while fees have been waived, Iraqis who leave Jordan
need a visa to reenter Jordan.


4. (C) A/S Schwartz responded that look-see visits were an
important tool to encourage the return and repatriation of
Iraqis, but that the visitors needed assurances that their
return to Jordan would not be hindered nor face uncertainty
about whether they would be permitted to return. Without such
assurances, A/S Schwartz explained, the decision to visit
Iraq would no longer be a look-see but a potentially
irreversible decision that few would risk. The A/S cited
U.S. policy at the time of the British return of Hong Kong to
China which permitted LPRs from Hong Kong up to ten years
(instead of the standard one year) to enter the U.S. to
maintain U.S. residency status. The details were different -
reversed in fact - but the principle was the same: it is
more likely that the individual will test the waters if he or
she knows there is a life raft nearby. In the case of
Jordan, that would mean: an unrestricted and publicly stated
right to return back to Jordan, allowing them to visit home
to determine whether they want ultimate repatriation.


5. (C) The PM accepted the validity of A/S Schwartz' point
but mentioned security concerns, saying that a relatively
small number of Iraqis were in contact with individuals
posing security risks to Jordan while they were in Iraq. A/S
Schwartz accepted this minor and appropriate exception, but
continued to push a program of otherwise unfettered visits
and an unproblematic visa regime. The PM thought that a card
or similar device could be given to Iraqis as they depart
Jordan to facilitate their return. The PM further suggested
the Government of Iraq might sponsor look-see return visits
to facilitate repatriation; A/S Schwartz said that refugees
might perceive such sponsorship as impinging upon their
privacy and freedom of action and added that the GOI had
limited capacity at the moment to help in this way.

Immigration Status and Vocational Training, but at a Price
-------------- --------------


7. (C) A/S Schwartz also said that the USG saw Iraqi refugee
attainment of a recognized form of status as an important US
priority. Schwartz suggested that Jordan might apply a form
of temporary residence modeled on U.S. treatment of nationals
of countries undergoing significant upheaval or violent
unrest. The PM cited Jordan's 14 percent unemployment rate
and stated such a proposal would be politically difficult.
Pointing to the USG's strong and continuing financial support
for Jordan and the ongoing resettlement of over 10,000
refugees to date to the U.S., A/S Schwartz suggested
beginning with the nearly 50,000 Iraqis currently registered

AMMAN 00002670 002 OF 002


with UNHCR as a starting point to grant status. MOPIC
Minister Al-Ali said Jordan could attempt to legalize the
status of Iraqi guests and asked if the United States could
fund employment opportunities for those registered with UNHCR
that would not impact the Jordanian labor market. A/S
Schwartz said channeling targeted support could be done
through international organizations and NGOs. He added that
he would give careful consideration to such assistance if the
U.S. and Jordan agreed on a system of status. The PM argued
for a good portion of the money to flow to GOJ rather than
through NGOs and asked how soon the money for an agreed
program could be released. The Assistant Secretary responded
he could review budgetary considerations as soon as agreement
in principle is reached.

PM Comments on Recent Outbreaks of Violence
--------------


8. (C) Finally, A/S Schwartz raised U.S. concern over
accountability for two recent deaths of Jordanian citizens at
the hands of police. The PM noted the events were isolated
and that Jordan was moving toward greater openness in civil
society and for freedom of expression. Police in some
locations are proving slow to adapt. Unaccustomed to being
shouted at by a crowd, for instance, a small number of police
were overreacting. Jordan was working to train police to
maintain order without causing bodily harm. The policemen
involved in the two deaths had been arrested and would be
tried in Jordanian courts.


9. (C) A/S Schwartz has cleared this message.
Beecroft