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RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0694
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RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

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 
 
DAMASCUS 00000641  002 OF 002 
 
 
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