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Syria's New Visa Rules Prevent Iraqis From Entering-UN
Dow Jones Newswires

Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007


GENEVA (AP)--One of the last remaining routes for Iraqis trying to flee their country has effectively been closed off by new visa restrictions imposed by Syria, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday.

Officials from the agency who visited the Iraqi-Syrian border Monday found the usually busy crossing virtually empty, said Ron Redmond, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

"These visa restrictions have had a direct and immediate impact on the numbers of Iraqis crossing that border," he told reporters in Geneva.

UNHCR estimates about 2,000 Iraqis leave their homes every day due to violence and economic uncertainty resulting from the four-year conflict.

While many seek refuge with friends and relatives in other parts of Iraq, hundreds of thousands have moved to neighboring countries such as Syria, where some 1.5 million Iraqis now live.

Syria, which has been struggling to house and feed its vast refugee population, imposed the new visa restrictions Monday, according to UNHCR.

A day earlier Iraqis near the border with Syria reportedly boarded buses, cramming all of their belongings into the luggage holds, in order to beat the deadline.

The agency said that under the new guidelines, Iraqis wanting to enter Syria have to apply at the country's embassy in Baghdad.

"A lot of Iraqis of course are unable or unwilling because of security concerns to go to the embassy in Baghdad," Redmond said, adding UNHCR was seeking clarity from Syria on what other implications the new rules would have.

"We're also discussing with them (Syria) our proposal for a humanitarian visa so that people in need of protection can still get it," he said.

Jordan, which hosts about 500,000 Iraqis, tightened entry rules for refugees some time ago.

And according to the International Organization for Migration, 11 of Iraq's 18 governorates have imposed limits on people coming from other parts of the country in search of safety.

"They've got to have somewhere to go," Redmond said, noting Syria had been more generous than most countries in providing for fleeing Iraqis.

"We're still hoping that some arrangement can be worked out," he said.

Syria's New Visa Rules Prevent Iraqis From Entering-UN (http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidDN20070911004746/SecMarkets/pagMoney)