VZCZCXRO8280
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHAM #2784/01 1791213
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281213Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9331
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002784 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA AND PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PGOV SOCI EAID JO IZ
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON IRAQIS IN JORDAN - JUNE 28 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 2640 
     ¶B. AMMAN 2564 
     ¶C. AMMAN 2458 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Jordan will host a neighbors' conference in 
July about Iraqi refugees.  UNICEF, UNHCR, the USG and NGOs 
continue to prepare to assist the GOJ educate Iraqi 
schoolchildren in Jordan, but await a GOJ mechanism to 
approve and implement them.  The Ministry of Education (MoE) 
has not yet convened its full Inter-ministerial Steering 
Committee on Iraqi Education; Ambassador will encourage 
follow-through with Minister of Education Touqan upon his 
return to the country on June 30.  Several NGOs await PRM 
funding decisions on proposals submitted to PRM on June 22. 
On the admissions front, the DHS circuit ride ending June 26 
interviewed 36 cases, and a longer two-month circuit ride 
begins June 27 that targets significantly more case 
interviews by August.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Jordan to host Iraqi neighbors' conference on refugees 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (U) According to June 27 Jordanian press reports (later 
confirmed by Foreign Minister Abdelelah Al Khatib to visiting 
A/S Welch and Ambassador), Jordan will host a conference in 
July for countries hosting Iraqis who have fled Iraq.  The 
Jordan Times and Petra News Agency reported that the decision 
to host the conference was made at a June 25 meeting between 
FM Khatib and visiting Iraqi FM Hoshyar Zebari in Amman. 
NOTE: Embassy is following up with GOJ contacts regarding the 
specific date, intended participants and observers, and will 
report information as soon as available.  END NOTE. 
 
 
Education 
--------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) UNICEF chaired a donor/NGO coordination meeting on 
June 25 to discuss summer readiness programs, surveying 
schools, and programs to address psychosocial issues.  UNICEF 
began referring to these programs as "camps" and offered 
recreation kits (with volleyballs, basketballs and jump 
ropes) and school-supply kits to any NGO that implements a 
summer camp.  It remains unclear how many camps will emerge, 
and several organizations noted they are awaiting PRM funding 
decisions for proposals submitted in June 22.  The 
International Relief Committee announced its intention to use 
independent funds to partner with Questscope for a six-month 
extracurricular program with seven community-based 
organizations (five in Amman, one in Zarqa, and one in Irbid) 
targeted at Iraqi youth aged 10-18.  Save the Children (StC) 
will launch its PRM-funded "Taleem" program with AMIDEAST for 
youths aged 14-24 on July 1. 
 
¶4. (SBU) As of June 27, the MoE had not convened the proposed 
Steering Committee for Iraqi Education.  UNICEF Emergency 
Coordinator Sharazade Boulia told poloff that the MoE 
intended to hold a GOJ-only working group on June 26, though 
no international, bilateral, or non-governmental donors were 
invited.  UNICEF continues to press for an initial meeting of 
the complete Steering Committee, but the ministry has yet to 
respond.  Ambassador will follow up with Minister of 
Education Khalid Touqan upon the latter's return to the 
country on June 30 to press for rapid convening of the 
committee. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Camp, Dresser and McKee (CDM), the USAID contractor 
mapping Jordanian schools, completed an initial survey of 
schools in Amman, Zarqa and Rusaifa.  CDM identified 76 
schools in Amman, 24 schools in Rusaifa, and 18 schools in 
Zarqa that are single-shifted and not considered overcrowded, 
i.e., the average number of students in a classroom is less 
than 37.  By July 5, they expect to have additional details 
on enrollments in each of these areas, and to identify 
schools that could be expanded or renovated to accommodate 
additional students. 
 
¶6. (U) Questscope, an NGO that developed non-formal education 
(NFE) curricula in Jordan, reported that last week the 
Ministry of Education approved its NFE certificate program. 
After the completion of the Questscope program, students may 
test with the GOJ and receive a certificate indicating 
completion of tenth grade studies.  Thereafter, they may 
enroll in vocational training or pursue home-study to later 
test for the Jordanian Tawjihi exams.  NOTE:  The Ministry of 
Education confirmed NGO claims that students that have been 
outside of a formal education system for more than three 
years are not permitted to re-enter the Jordanian public 
school system.  Iraqis who lack evidence of previous 
educational study may encounter difficulties proving that 
 
AMMAN 00002784  002 OF 002 
 
 
they have not been out of school for this length of time. 
END NOTE. 
 
¶7. (SBU) A UNHCR education representative told poloff that 
UNCHR plans to conduct a series of focus groups with Iraqis 
the week of July 1 in the areas of education, health, 
protection and livelihood.  UNHCR expects the focus groups to 
include 40 Iraqis and take two days as part of an annual 
global UNHCR initiative to assess the impact and equity of 
its programs. 
 
 
Admissions 
---------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) According to TDY REFCOORD, a recent Department of 
Homeland Security "circuit ride" completed screening of 36 
cases through June 26, representing approximately 70 
individuals in total.  Of the 32 that had been reviewed by a 
team leader, 25 were conditionally approved, three were 
denied, three were placed on hold for non-waivable material 
support, and one was pending further review.  Many of these 
cases were emergency cases that had been evacuated from Iraq 
for medical treatment. 
 
¶9. (U) IOM will deploy its Employment Verification Unit on 
Sunday, July 1.  Iraqis who believe they qualify for 
admissions to the U.S. under the Direct Access program can 
begin contacting IOM directly to schedule appointments to 
assess their eligibility. 
 
¶10. (SBU) A new team of six DHS interviewers arrived in Amman 
on June 26 to begin the next circuit ride that continues 
through August 1.  IOM has constructed four interview booths 
in its new facilities in Amman, and expects that DHS 
adjudicators will be able to interview approximately 16 cases 
per day or 80 cases per week. 
 
¶11. (SBU) IOM Chief of Mission Rafiq Tschannen told acting 
Polcouns that the GOJ will often waive standard overstay 
fines for those Iraqis who have overstayed their visas or 
permitted residency periods in Jordan, provided they agree 
not to return to Jordan for a period of five years.  He noted 
that a number of Iraqis who are currently being denied entry 
to Jordan are those that have previously overstayed a visa 
and departed with a waiver of these fines. 
 
¶12. (U) Tschannen also said that IOM currently has 400-500 
files ready for interview at the IOM offices in Amman.  They 
currently have capacity to process 50 cases per week.  IOM 
plans to double its staff and thereby process 140 cases per 
week by the end of July.  Currently it receives approximately 
100 cases/week from UNHCR in Amman. 
 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
Hale