US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6028

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006028 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA AND PRM; DHS FOR BCIS 
CPA FOR BARTLETT; ATHENS AND ROME FOR BCIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2013 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, KPAL, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: GOJ PLANS TO CLOSE RUWEISHED REFUGEE CAMP 
 
REF: AMMAN 5550 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale per 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Minister of Interior Habashneh informed 
UNHCR on Sept. 8 that the GOJ intends to close the Ruweished 
refugee camp and transfer the remaining 550 camp residents to 
the no-man's land (NML) camp between the Jordanian and Iraqi 
border posts, preferably by October 15.  UNHCR and the 
Ministry of Interior subsequently established a working group 
to review the remaining caseload and identify possible 
solutions, including voluntary repatriation to Iraq. 
Protection conditions in the NML camp are worsening; UNHCR's 
preferred solution is to move the 1,000 refugees from NML to 
the UNHCR camp at Ruweished.  Bronee asked Charge to urge the 
GOJ not to close the Ruweished camp.  As reported ref, we 
have urged the GOJ not to close the camp prematurely and will 
continue to counsel a slow approach.  End summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  In a September 8 letter, Minister of Interior 
Habashneh informed UNHCR that the GOJ intends to close the 
Ruweished refugee camp and transfer the remaining 550 camp 
residents to the no-man's land (NML) camp between the 
Jordanian and Iraqi border posts.  Habashneh reaffirmed this 
message in a September 11 meeting with UNHCR Representative 
Sten Bronee, explaining that the GOJ had "resolved all 
problems" by allowing 386 Palestinians with ties to Jordan to 
leave the Ruweished refugee camp on August 24 and reside 
permanently in Jordan (ref).  Habashneh told Bronee the GOJ 
would like to close the camp by October 15.  UNHCR and the 
Ministry of Interior subsequently established a working group 
to review the remaining refugee caseload and identify 
possible solutions, including voluntary repatriation to Iraq. 
 Habashneh and Bronee will meet again before the end of 
September in order to review progress. 
 
3.  (SBU) Briefing Charge and refcoord on these developments 
on September 17, Bronee said UNHCR hoped to keep the 
Ruweished camp open until a permanent solution could be found 
for the 550 remaining camp residents.  Acknowledging that 
most of the residents do not qualify for UNHCR refugee 
status, Bronee nevertheless believes (correctly, in our 
opinion) that conditions are not yet right for returns to 
Iraq and hopes to appeal to Jordanian humanitarian 
sensibilities to allow the Ruweished residents to remain in 
the camp.  Bronee characterized GOJ plans to move the 
Ruweished camp residents to the NML camp as impractical and 
dangerous, explaining that protection conditions in NML have 
worsened.  A "market" in goods and services between the NML 
refugees and passing vehicles is booming, with increasing 
cases of smuggling and even allegations of sexual harassment 
and abuse leveled against employees of the Hashemite 
Charitable Organization, UNHCR's implementing partner.  UNHCR 
also worries that the NML camp will not be able to withstand 
winter rains, as it is located in a depression just next to 
the Amman-Baghdad highway.  Given these concerns, UNHCR's 
preferred solution would be to move the NML camp residents to 
Ruweished, although Bronee acknowledges that such a move 
would risk creating a pull factor, especially for Iranian 
Kurds from Iraq's Al Tash refugee camp. 
 
4.  (SBU) Bronee asked the U.S. to intervene with the GOJ to 
urge continued patience and allow the Ruweished refugee camp 
to remain open.  Emphasizing that UNHCR does not view local 
integration as a solution for any of the new Iraq caseload, 
Bronee said he also will urge resettlement countries -- 
including the U.S. -- to consider some of the new caseload 
for resettlement.  Bronee added that the GOJ is especially 
eager to find solutions for the five Mujahaddin-e-Khalq (MEK) 
members still remaining in the Ruweished camp, one of whom 
possesses an expired U.S. green card.  Minister of Interior 
Habashneh told Bronee the GOJ had pledged not to send the MEK 
back to Iraq, but would not allow them to stay in Jordan. 
(NOTE:  We are consulting with DHS and others on the U.S. 
LPR.)  Bronee urged the U.S. to move quickly to identify new 
housing for the displaced Palestinians in Baghdad, as 
improved conditions in Iraq will encourage those displaced in 
Jordan to return to Iraq.  Charge agreed to raise UNHCR's 
concerns with GOJ interlocutors, noting that we are actively 
engaged in finding a solution for those UNHCR-recognized 
refugees who could qualify for resettlement in the U.S. 
 
5.  (C) Comment:  As reported ref, we urged the Prime 
Minister August 28 not to close the Ruweished camp 
prematurely and will continue to counsel a slow approach on 
this issue, keeping the GOJ fully informed of U.S. efforts to 
find solutions for this caseload.  As part of our effort to 
find solutions, we have asked UNHCR to prepare group 
referrals for the 60 Somali and Sudanese cases from Ruweished 
and have requested a DHS resettlement mission for early 
November.  A positive commitment from DHS would bolster our 
case with the GOJ and demonstrate the international 
community's commitment to finding a solution for the new 
war-related caseload. 
 
6.  (U) CPA Baghdad minimize considered. 
HALE