IOM ON THE FIRST LADY'S OFFICE, TIP, THE OPERATING

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000767 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PRM F/O, NEA/ELA, NE/I E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2019 TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL SY IZ SUBJECT: IOM ON THE FIRST LADY'S OFFICE, TIP, THE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT, AND BORDER MANAGEMENT Classified By: CDA Chuck Hunter for reasons 1.4 b, d. ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: During recent meetings with Charge and Emboffs, the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Chief of Mission, Maria Rumman, shared her insights on the Syrian First Lady's Office, gave an update on trafficking in persons (TIP) activity in Syria, and described her organization's work with the Syrian government (SARG) to improve border management. Rumman also commented on a recent corruption investigation and continuing problems for IOM's international staffers trying to obtain a Syrian visa. END SUMMARY. -------------- FIRST LADY'S OFFICE AND TIP -------------- ¶2. (C) On October 7, the CDA made an introductory call on Maria Rumman, Chief of Mission at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Asked about a photo of herself with First Lady Asma Al-Asad, Rumman indicated the First Lady had named her to the board of Amal, an NGO Mrs. Asad heads that addresses women's issues including trafficking. Rumman said she had met the First Lady to discuss legislation protecting the rights of the disabled. There currently was a package of several pending laws under a national plan to improve protection for the disabled and handicapped. Although the First Lady's office remained very supportive of IOM, even the President's wife faced resistance from the SARG to her special initiatives, commented Rumman. The First Lady sometimes found it problematic to separate her personal causes from the Syrian Government (SARG),Rumman recounted. ¶3. (C) Rumman also shared her insights on the state of TIP in Syria. She noted that while before 2005 it was taboo to discuss TIP in Syria, now the subjsect was discussed more freely. Syria had signed a protocol on TIP that was currently pending ratification by the National Assembly. IOM continued to organize seminars to brief SARG officials on TIP, which were, Rumman acknowledged, sometimes unfocused and muddled. Rumman also told us that the First Lady's office had sought her opinion of the Department's annual TIP report on Syria; in response Rumman acknowledged that Syria was making progress on TIP, but needed to do more legislatively. Rumman opined that soon new TIP legislation will be opened for discussion, with a Presidential decree remaining an option if the legislative process bogged down or produced an unsatisfactory bill. -------------- OPERATING ENVIRONMENT -------------- ¶4. (C) Switching subjects, Rumman related a recent incident of an internal corruption case involving an IOM staffer who demanded bribes from refugee applicants in order to continue to process their claims. She said in this case she had received excellent cooperation from the Syrian police, and she believed the incident was isolated. ¶5. (C) Rumman wrapped up the conversation with mention of IOM's continuing problems obtaining Syrian visas for its international staff and its inability to bring in technical experts for training and consultations. The most urgent case was Victoria Kasabyan, Chief of the U.S. Overseas Processing Entity (OPE) at IOM. Kasabyan, Rumman said, had been waiting over a year to take up her duties in Damascus, and was working remotely from Amman. Additionally, Mark Brown, Regional IOM Director, has been unable to secure a Syrian visa after initially receiving one and visiting in August ¶2009. -------------- BORDER MANAGEMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) Rumman said she had briefed a group of military attaches on September 29 at the Germany Embassy on IOM's initiative with the SARG to improve security and immigration controls. In addition to some improvements at the Ministry of Interior headquarters in Damascus, IOM was assisting the SARG with upgrading 24 official border crossing points, providing biometric equipment (optical passport scanners and fingerprint readers) and training. (Note: On a recent trip into Turkey, Embassy personnel noticed that most of the IOM-furnished equipment at that crossing point was not turned on or being used. End note.) IOM had also conducted border post assessments and followed up with on-site support to oversee the Syrian execution of migration management measures, Rumman said. IOM so far had completed its assessment, equipping and training at 14 Syrian border posts; plans to finish the remaining ten await donor funding, which Rumman said she was currently working to obtain. HUNTER