SARG: "TIGHTENING THE SCREWS" ON INTERNATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000074 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/I, PRM/ANE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREF PGOV IZ SY SUBJECT: SARG: "TIGHTENING THE SCREWS" ON INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ASSISTING IRAQI REFUGEES REF: A. 2008 DAMASCUS 677 ¶B. 2008 DAMASCUS 741 Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.5 b and d. ¶1. (C) Summary: During recent meetings U.S. representatives from Mercy Corps Country and International Medical Corps (IMC) reported their operations have come under greater scrutiny following the September 27 bombing outside Damascus and the alleged October 26 U.S. incursion at Abu Kamal. This scrutiny, they said, made it increasingly difficult meet the basic needs of the Iraqi refugee population inside Syria. Newly arrived International Rescue Committee (IRC) Program Director expressed pessimism about the prospects of success of her organization's proposed programs based on SARG demands and the restrictions. While a UNHCR representative reported U.N. operations remained relatively unencumbered by SARG harassment, he noted his organization had noticed an increase in the number of arrests and deportations of Iraqi refugees by the Syrian government. End Summary. -------------- SARG "Tightening the Screws" -------------- ¶2. (C) Mercy Corps Country Director Amcit Sarah Ferris (protect) told PolOff that following the October 26 incident, the SARG began "tightening the screws" on her operations in Syria. Her local implementing partner, the Syrian Computer Society (SCS),placed three of its staff members in her office, even though she explicitly told SCS that she did not need or want them. SCS told Ferris their purpose was to "protect our (Syrian Computer Society's) interests." She told us they had been placed there to "keep tabs" on her and her program. The SARG also had asked for copies of ID cards, work permits, addresses, and other information of her staff members, despite the fact she had already passed this material to the SARG some time ago. Further, Mercy Corps had planed to survey beneficiaries at the conclusion of its program in an effort to glean some insight into Iraqi refugee needs/status but the Syrian government forbade them from including any Iraq-specific questions on surveys. ¶3. (C) IMC Country Director Hussein Ibrahim (protect) reported similar problems began for his operation following the September 27 bombing outside Damascus and the alleged U.S. incursion into Syria on October 26. The SARG also asked ;for identity papers on all his staff members. Ibrahim added the Syrian Arab Red Crescent's (SARC) relationship with IMC had "cooled." He described his organization's relationship with SARC (before the alleged incident in October) as cordial and cooperative. Now, according to Ibrahim, even the most basic request or action on the part of IMC must be sent to the SARC in writing. Further, the SARC recently disapproved an IMC program to conduct psycho-social services, despite having requested IMC provide these types of services to Iraqi refugees residing in Syria. IMC has also been forbidden from conducting out-reach activities. Even handing out simple brochures describing available services was viewed as suspect and ordered stopped. Now the SARC has blocked a program permitting midwives to visit pregnant Iraqi patients. Ibrahim recounted that he was called into the MFA following the October 26 alleged incursion and asked to provide information on which entities were funding IMC programs in Syria - despite the fact IMC had "made it clear from the beginning" that the State Department's Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration (PRM) had been the principal donor. ¶4. (C) Ibrahim postulated that the SARG was pushing back on outreach efforts for possibly two reasons: 1) they don't want the international community to gain a clear picture of the refugee population so that Syria can continue to gain international support/funding; and 2) for internal security reasons the SARG does not have an interest in seeing a cohesive/informed refugee community. ¶5. (C) IRC Program Director Gordana Ivkovic-Grujic reported her NGO, which received SARG approval to operate in Syria roughly two months ago, has found it difficult to establish operations because of the "ridiculous" amount of permissions and paperwork demanded by the Syrian government and the SARC. She was pessimistic about the prospects of IRC's proposed education programs, primarily because the SARG had made it clear to her IRC was not allowed to conduct outreach activities of any kind. Without outreach efforts two out of three IRC's programs, accelerated and remedial teaching, could fall flat if IRC is unable to identify appropriate beneficiaries according to Ivkovic-Grujic. The third and final IRC project, rehabilitation of schools containing large numbers of Iraqi refugee students, was also in jeopardy. According to Ivkovic-Grujic the Ministry of Education passed her a list of ten schools in need of rehabilitation, only two of which had an appropriate number of Iraqi students enrolled. The SARG, according to Ivkovic-Grujic, was making demands outside the scope of Iraqi refugee needs. ¶6. (C) Lee Norrgard from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) reported that his organization's activities continue without any harassment. In fact, his visa application to return to Syria was approved in a matter of days. Norrgard speculated that perhaps the religiously-affiliated NGOs (Note: IRC, Mercy Corps and IMC are not affiliated with any religious organization within Syria) still enjoy some measure of immunity from the Syrian security services. -------------- --- Iraqi Refugees Facing Increasing SARG Harassment -------------- --- ¶7. (C) During a lengthy meeting with Deputy UNHCR Representative Phillipe Leclerc, he indicated that the SARG has made it increasingly difficult for new Iraqis to enter Syria by strictly implementing existing visa regulations since the incidents this fall. Established Iraqis in Syria, however, travel between Syria and Iraq with relative ease Leclerc noted. UNHCR has seen an increase in the number of visits by Syrian security elements to predominantly Iraqi refugee populated neighborhoods, he claimed, accompanied by a marked increase in the number of arrests/interrogations of Iraqi refugees. He added that UNHCR has been experiencing difficulty in providing protection space for Iraqis arrested by security elements, Leclerc lamented, often finding out about deportations too late to intervene as the SARG does not alert UNHCR when registered Iraqis are arrested or detained. ¶8. (C) Comment: Increasing SARG restrictions on NGO activity, coupled with an up-tick in the number of arrests and deportations of Iraqi refugees, may indicate the SARG is growing weary of hosting the Iraqi refugee population. While the SARG is likely to continue to clamor for increased international aid to provide for the Iraqi refugee population, it seemingly wants such aid exclusively on its own terms. In 2008, UNHCR provided nearly $30,000,000 in direct aid to the Syrian ministries that are the most heavily affected by the refugee population. Yet, it would appear that the protection space this cash infusion "purchased" has been insufficient to persuade the SARG to move toward adhering to international norms in dealing with both the refugee population and NGOs. CONNELLY