US embassy cable - 03AMMAN7798

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007798 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA AND PRM; DHS FOR BCIS 
ATHENS AND ROME FOR BCIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2013 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, KPAL, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: GOJ REITERATES PLEDGE TO CLOSE RUWEISHED REFUGEE 
CAMP 
 
REF: AMMAN 7017 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale per 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U) In a November 30 press conference, Minister of 
Interior Samir Habashneh reaffirmed the GOJ's intent to close 
the Ruweished refugee camp after December 31.  Referring to 
the 415 Palestinians who represent the core of the camp's 
population, Habashneh said "There is no solution for 
Palestinian refugees carrying Iraqi documents but to go back 
to Iraq."  Habashneh told reporters the GOJ initially planned 
to close the camp in September but agreed to keep it open 
until the end of the year, when UNHCR promised a solution 
would be found for the refugees. 
 
2.  (SBU) UNHCR Senior Protection Officer Jacqueline 
Parlevliet told refcoord that Habashneh's public statements 
followed a demarche made by the Jordanian Ambassador to 
Geneva to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees during the 
week of November 17.  Parlevliet added that the GOJ approach, 
made at the very highest levels in Geneva, signals that the 
GOJ is firmly committed to the December 31 deadline and, 
based on previous discussions, will likely move the remaining 
camp residents to the no-man's land camp between the 
Jordanian and Iraqi border posts.  Parlevliet doubts the 
Palestinians would willingly move to the no-man's land camp 
and expressed concern that the no-man's land camp (currently 
home to 1,063 Iranian Kurds) would be able to withstand 
winter flashfloods.  Although the GOJ has discussed the 
possibilities for moving the camp to higher land within 
no-man's land, Parlevliet said no progress has been made. 
 
3.  (C) Comment:  We also believe the GOJ is serious in its 
intent to close the camp sometime after December 31 and move 
the remaining refugees to no-man's land.  The GOJ has made 
unsuccessful approaches to the Egyptian, Lebanese and Israeli 
governments, asking them to take Palestinians with ties to 
those countries or, in the case of Israel, to allow transit 
to the West Bank and Gaza.  (While the Egyptian Government 
allowed one family that includes an Egyptian passport holder 
to return to Egypt, the Egyptian embassy told us the GOE will 
not allow other Palestinians from Ruweished to travel to 
Egypt.)  We doubt any Ruweished camp residents would 
willingly move to the no-man's land camp but note that any 
involuntary movements would not constitute refoulement as the 
no-man's land camp is within Jordanian territory.  While 
conditions in the no-man's land camp are not ideal, they at 
least provide temporary refuge until durable solutions can be 
found for the remaining 1,500 refugees from both camps.  We 
will continue to encourage the GOJ to allow the Ruweished 
camp to remain open -- at least until those refugees accepted 
into the U.S. resettlement program are able to travel -- and, 
failing any progress, will encourage the GOJ to allow the 
necessary improvements to be made to the no-man's land camp. 
 
4.  (U) CPA Baghdad minimize considered. 
HALE