IRAQI REFUGEES EXPRESS CONCERN OVER DETERIORATING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 000641

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR LORD, PARIS FOR NOBLES
DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/ANE, NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2019
TAGS: KHUM PREL PGOV SY IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQI REFUGEES EXPRESS CONCERN OVER DETERIORATING
SYRIA-IRAQ RELATIONS

Classified By: CDA Charles Hunter, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Iraqi refugees serving as community
outreach organizers for the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed concerns about the recent
deterioration in Syrian-Iraqi relations and the withdrawal of
the countries' respective ambassadors from Baghdad and
Damascus. Not trusting the situation in Iraq enough to
return, however, refugees see little choice but to remain
where they are. UNHCR and NGO representatives are following
events closely and hope the recent tension does not
negatively affect Iraqis living in Syria. Although UNHCR has
noticed an increase in new registrations in the wake of
Syrian-Iraqi tensions, UNHCR staff also report a steady
stream this summer of Iraqi refugees applying for assistance
as their resources dwindle. Some Syrians privately are
responding to Iraqi demands to turn over Iraqi Baathist
officials by saying, "If you want us to return four Iraqis,
why not take the other million here." But we have heard from
reliable sources that President Asad personally has
instructed officials and journalists not to question Syria's
continuing support of Iraqi refugees. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) In the two weeks following the August 19 bombing
attacks in Baghdad and the subsequent decisions by the SARG
and Iraqi governments to withdraw their ambassadors from
their respective capitals, Iraqi refugees, NGOs, and donors
have expressed concern that tension between Iraq and Syria
would negatively affect Iraqi refugees here. Poloff heard
similar concerns expressed in a series of meetings in late
August with Iraqi women serving as outreach coordinators for
UNHCR, adolescent refugees in a registration center, and
UNHCR officials.


3. (C) A group of Iraqi refugee women serving as community
outreach organizers for the UNHCR told Poloff that Iraqi
allegations of Syrian involvement in the August 19 bombing
attacks had fueled widespread concerns that Iraqi refugees
would not always be welcome in Syria. "There are a lot of
problems we are facing, like rising prices in Syria and the
money people brought from Iraq running out. And now we have
the issue of bad relations between Syria and Iraq," one woman
said. "We know that there are problems between the two
countries, but we don't know how it will affect us. This is
all politics, and the people suffer from it," another said.

"WE DON'T TRUST THE SITUATION IN IRAQ"


4. (C) At a crowded UNHCR registration center in Duma, Iraqis
discussed their situation in Syria with Poloff. A group of
adolescents talked about their plans for the upcoming school
year in Syria, stating they did not expect to continue their
studies in Iraq in the near future. A teenager from Fallujah
said she hoped to focus on literature in the upcoming school
year, which would begin in early September. Several young
men said they were hoping to pick up information technology
skills they could use in the job market in the future.
"Hopefully in Iraq, but if not in Europe or America," one of
them added.


5. (C) Several of the community organizers and refugees at
the Duma center expressed pessimism about the prospects of
their returning to Iraq, heightening their concerns about
their future in Syria if they cannot resettle in other
countries. "We know that the media says that the situation
is getting better in Iraq, but we basically don't trust
anything they say. There is still kidnapping, bombings,
assassination. We can't have a normal life with security
there," one young woman said. "People ask us about Iraqis
going back to Iraq, but they cannot return if they don't have
homes and families to go back to," another said. "We don't
trust the situation in Iraq, so we have to stay here."

UNHCR SEES UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF IRAQI REFUGEES APPLYING
FOR ASSISTANCE


6. (C) In an August 31 meeting with NGOs and donors, UNHCR
Deputy Representative Philip Le Clerc said the UNHCR "is
observing events between Syria and Iraq. We want to make
sure that these events don't negatively affect Iraqi refugees
here." He added the bilateral tensions came at a difficult

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time because UNHCR had just started to work with the Syrians
and the Iraqis on implementing the first direct assistance
program by the Iraqi government for its people in Syria. The
GOI had proposed working with the UNHCR to provide Iraqi
refugees with medications not readily available in Syria.
"Now all of these efforts are on hold," Le Clerc explained.


7. (C) UNHCR staff report a steady flow of Iraqi refugees
registering for assistance this year (20,000 to date),
despite an overall decrease in the number of refugees.
Nonetheless, UNHCR's Vadim Mackeyev said "there has been a
noticeable increase last month" in the number of Iraqis
registering for the first time for UNHCR assistance. "Even
if there are fewer refugees leaving Iraq for Syria, there are
many people who have been here for several years. Now, their
money is running out, and they are coming to us and
registering," he said.


8. (C) UNHCR Reporting Officer Carole Laleve noted that
first-time registrations had also increased since the August
19 bombing. "It's still early and we are watching the
figures, but we had 400 new cases late last week, and we
think that some of this is related to the (August 19)
attack." Le Clerc said he had heard that 20 percent of new
registrants at Duma were "quoting directly" the events
following the bombing.

SYRIAN COMMENTS ON REFUGEES


9. (C) While Iraqi refugees worry what the withdrawal of the
ambassadors will mean for their future in Syria, we have
heard a range of Syrian reactions regarding Iraqi demands for
the transfer of wanted former Baathist elements. "If Iraq
wants four Iraqis, it should be willing to take the other
million who live here and receive support from the Syrian
government," growled Wadah Abd Rabo (strictly protect),
editor-in-chief of the privately-owned, pro-government daily
"Al-Watan." Abd Rabo hastily added that he had received word
that Asad himself wanted no hint by Syrian officials or media
that the SARG would consider ending its support of Iraqi
refugees. Stridently denying Iraqi accusations of Syrian
involvement in terrorist attacks in Iraq, President Asad on
August 31 said "Syria is keen on preserving the Iraqi people
and Iraqi interests, just as it is keen to protect the Syrian
people and interests." "When Syria is accused of killing
Iraqis when she is hosting a million and two hundred thousand
Iraqis, it is an immoral accusation." Despite the SARG's
statements that Iraqi refugees are safe in Syria, UNHCR
outreach workers said Iraqis in Syria were closely following
the news for any indication that their status would be
affected by developments in the Syrian-Iraqi bilateral
relationship.


10. (C) COMMENT. With the heated exchanges between Syrian
and Iraqi officials, it is not surprising the large Iraqi
refugee community here remains both reluctant to return to
Iraq and concerned about how the recent events will affect
them in Syria. For the moment, the UNHCR and other NGOs are
monitoring events and expressing concern that Syrian-Iraqi
tensions not affect the status of Iraqi refugees. Despite
these tensions, thus far the SARG appears intent on
continuing to assist Iraqis living in Syria. END COMMENT.
HUNTER