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Viewing cable 05TRIPOLI332, UNHCR OPERATIONS STRUGGLING IN LIBYA; BUT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05TRIPOLI332 2005-12-23 13:05 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Tripoli
R 231305Z DEC 05
FM USLO TRIPOLI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0524
INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION COLLECTIVE
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY CAIRO 
USLO TRIPOLI
C O N F I D E N T I A L  TRIPOLI 000332 
 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  12/23/2015 
TAGS: PHUM PREF KPAL LY
SUBJECT: UNHCR OPERATIONS STRUGGLING IN LIBYA; BUT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 
FUTURE 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Ethan Goldrich, Acting Principal Officer, USLO 
Tripoli, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
1.  (C)  During a series of meetings over the last three months, 
the Tripoli-based UNHCR representative, Mohamed Hantosh Alwash, 
has conveyed information about local operations and ongoing 
negotiations with the Libyan government to sign a Memorandum of 
Understanding.  UNHCR's primary interlocutor in the Libyan 
government is Ramadan Irhiam, the Director of International 
Organizations at the People's Bureau for Foreign Liaison and 
International Cooperation (MFA).  During the last three years, 
UNHCR has tried without success to negotiate parameters for its 
local operation.  Currently the Libyan government does not 
officially recognize the office; it will not accept note verbale 
or other communications from UNHCR and forces the operation to 
function as a subset of the UNDP office, contrary to the UN 
organization chart. 
 
2.  (C)  Alwash believes the Libyans have not been able to 
determine any benefit to having a UNHCR operation in the 
country.  His goal is to use his contacts and local experience 
(Alwash worked at this UNHCR office in the 1980s and helped with 
the repatriation of Egyptians) to convince Libyans the UN exit 
strategies and voluntary repatriation solutions will solve its 
problem with a "revolving door" for sub-Saharan African economic 
migrants and other refugees.  Alwash plans to give his MFA 
interlocutor, Irhiam, a draft paper outlining refugee problems 
faced by Libya, along with proposed solutions. 
 
3.  (U)  UNHCR experiences visa problems similar to those of 
USLO and other missions.  Alwash has one assigned staff member 
who has been waiting over seven months for permission to enter 
Libya. With his current roster of six employees (one stateless 
person, one Iraqi, one Sudanese, and three Eritrians), Alwash 
says he cannot begin to fulfill his portfolio of 
responsibilities for repatriation, protection and resettlement 
of refugees.  He also said that UNHCR had been trying for over a 
year to send auditing teams to survey the local office's 
accounting, but the temporary duty travelers had not been 
granted visas.  Alwash also said UNHCR tried to send a 
communications expert to set up computer operations, but the 
Libyans also denied a visa to the information specialist.  The 
office, given the lack of cooperation from Libyan authorities, 
does not have much in terms of funding or other resources. 
 
4.  (U)  An estimated 30,000 Palestinian refugees live in Libya 
according to Alwash.  He said they don't have a "protection" 
problem.  The Palestinians have trouble finding employment and 
housing or registering newborn children.  Most of the 
Palestinians carry Jordanian, Syrian, Lebanese or Egyptian 
documentation that is difficult if not impossible to renew. 
The documentation is criticial to the refugees ability to find 
work, especially now that Libya institutes regular "sweeps" to 
deport illegal laborers.    UNHCR concentrates its efforts on 
helping refugees work with local consulates to get new identity 
papers. 
 
5.  (U)  Alwash said Libya's principal challenge was illegal 
immigrants, especially sub-Saharan Africans.  His contacts 
reported that 590 illegal immigrants traveled from Libya to 
Malta during September, and great numbers also travel to Italy 
and other Mediterrean countries.  The September figure is 
considered representative of an average monthly immigration 
flow.  When Alwash has the cooperation of the Libyan 
authorities, he hopes to make arrangements for USCIS to visit 
and assess the refugee population.   He thought that 2007 was 
the most likely time for a first USCIS trip to Libya.   In the 
meantime, Alwash has said he might ask for USG assistance with 
one particular resettlement case.  (Comment:  We expect that any 
USCIS visit here would be preceded by a visit from the Regional 
Refugee Coordinator.  End Comment) 
 
6.  (U)  While it could takes months to finalize an MOU, Alwash 
is currently focusing on coordination with local "NGOs".  The 
term is in quotes because the Libyan NGOs all report to the 
Jamarhiryah government bureaucracy at some level.  Alwash 
utilizes the Al-Wahfa Society to implement some part of the 
UNHCR care and maintenance program for refugees.  He is also 
trying to form a partnership with the Al-Qadhafi Foundation for 
Charitable Activiites (under the direction of Qadhafi's son, 
Saif al-Islam) and the Watasimo Foundation (under the direction 
of Qadhafi's daughter, Aisha).   Alwash is also coordinating to 
some degree with the World Islamic Call Society (WICS), which he 
described as "generally helpful."    Under the sponsorship of 
one of these organizations, Alwash plans to hold a conference on 
refugee issues during the second half of 2006. 
 
7.  (C)  December 18, Alwash told USLO that he was optimistic 
about the future.  Based on recent conversations with Libyan 
officials, Alwash doesn't think an MOU will be signed anytime 
soon, but he does get a sense that there is a general 
"reconsidering" of their point of view. 
 
8.  (C)  Biographic Note:  Mohamed Hantosh Alwash, a Canadian 
citizen of Iraqi origin, in his forties, represents the UNHCR in 
Tripoli.   He previously served in Tripoli during the 1980s, as 
well as in Geneva, Beirut and Amman.  During his previous 
assignment in Tripoli, he worked on the repatriation issues 
dealing with Palestinians and Egyptians.   He has two children 
enrolled in a French-language local school. 
 
BERRY 
 
 
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