US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1629

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001629 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR PRM AND NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, EAID, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: A SNAPSHOT OF THE IRAQI COMMUNITY IN JORDAN - SOME 
OF THE POOREST OF THE POOR 
 
REF:  AMMAN 1587 
 
1.  (U) AS PART OF ROUTINE REFCOORD MONITORING OF PRM-FUNDED 
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR VULNERABLE IRAQIS IN JORDAN 
(MONITORING REPORT SUBMITTED REFTEL), FSN REFUGEE ASSISTANT 
VISITED THE HOMES OF THREE VULNERABLE IRAQI FAMILIES LIVING 
IN JORDAN, ALL OF WHOM HAD OBTAINED OR WERE SEEKING 
ASSISTANCE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC MIGRATION 
COMMISSION (ICMC)'S USG-FUNDED PROJECT.  THE FAMILIES LIVE 
IN HASHMI SHAMALI AND JABAL AL-NASR, POOR NEIGHBORHOODS IN 
AMMAN THAT ARE HOME TO LARGE NUMBERS OF IRAQIS.  BASED ON 
THESE HOME VISITS, IT APPEARS THAT THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF 
VULNERABLE IRAQIS IN JORDAN DO NOT DIFFER WIDELY FROM OTHER 
ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED GROUPS, SUCH AS PALESTINIAN 
REFUGEES WHO QUALIFY FOR UNRWA SPECIAL HARDSHIP STATUS OR 
IMPOVERISHED JORDANIANS IN SOUTHERN JORDAN.  THE IRAQIS' 
GREATEST HARDSHIP SEEMS TO COME FROM THEIR ILLEGAL STATUS IN 
JORDAN, WHICH PREVENTS THEM FROM ACCESSING GOJ PUBLIC 
SERVICES, PARTICULARLY IN HEALTH AND EDUCATION. 
 
2.  (SBU) WHILE THE REASONS FOR THEIR PRESENCE IN JORDAN 
VARY, THESE IRAQIS SHARE THE SAME DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES: 
LARGELY ILLEGAL STATUS, LIMITED ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND 
HEALTH CARE, LIMITED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, SUBSTANDARD 
HOUSING AND CONSTANT FEAR OF REPRISAL FROM THE IRAQI 
GOVERNMENT AND/OR DEPORTATION BY THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT. 
THE UNHCR-RECOGNIZED REFUGEES HOPE TO LEAVE JORDAN QUICKLY, 
TO BEGIN LIFE IN A THIRD COUNTRY.  THOSE IRAQIS RESIDENT IN 
JORDAN WITHOUT UNHCR STATUS FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE AND 
MANY REPORT THAT THEY MAY RESORT TO ILLEGAL SMUGGLING TO 
FIND JOBS IN EUROPE.  ALL THE IRAQIS INTERVIEWED EXPRESSED A 
GREAT DEAL OF ANXIETY CONCERNING POSSIBLE HOSTILITIES IN 
IRAQ - PARTICULARLY FOR THE SAFETY OF FAMILY MEMBERS 
REMAINING INSIDE IRAQ.  THEY ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR FEAR AND 
DISLIKE OF THE CURRENT IRAQI GOVERNMENT.  SKETCHES OF THEIR 
INDIVIDUAL STORIES FOLLOW. 
 
 
3.  (SBU) THE RECENT ARRIVALS:  A LOOSE FAMILY GROUPING - 
FATALLY ILL DAUGHTER, TWO GRANDPARENTS AND AN UNCLE - CAME 
TO JORDAN ONE MONTH AGO IN SEARCH OF MEDICAL TREATMENT.  THE 
GIRL'S FATHER WAS GIVEN PERMISSION BY THE IRAQI AND 
JORDANIAN GOVERNMENTS TO REMAIN IN JORDAN FOR FOUR DAYS 
ONLY, AND LEFT HIS DAUGHTER IN THE CARE OF THE OTHER ADULT 
FAMILY MEMBERS.  THE GIRL'S UNCLE REPORTEDLY QUIT THE IRAQI 
ARMY WITHOUT PERMISSION; HE AND HIS PARENTS FEAR PUNISHMENT 
IF THEY RETURN TO IRAQ.  THIS FAMILY, LIKE MANY OTHER 
DIVIDED FAMILIES, DID NOT SEEK UNHCR ASSISTANCE AS ASYLUM- 
SEEKERS BECAUSE THEY FEAR RETRIBUTION FOR THEIR FAMILY 
MEMBERS STILL LIVING IN IRAQ. THE IRAQI COMMUNITY IN JORDAN 
WIDELY BELIEVES THAT UNHCR OFFICES ARE WATCHED CLOSELY BY 
IRAQI INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS, WHO ALLEGEDLY REPORT ALL ASYLUM 
SEEKERS TO BAGHDAD, WITH REPERCUSSIONS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS 
REMAINING INSIDE IRAQ.  THE FAMILY SOUGHT ICMC'S HELP IN 
OBTAINING MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THE GIRL, WHO WAS 
SUBSEQUENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS.  WHILE ICMC HAS 
PROVIDED MEDICAL TREATMENT UNDER THE USG GRANT, IT IS ABLE 
TO PROVIDE LITTLE MORE THAN THAT.  THE FAMILY WILL RUN OUT 
OF SAVINGS IN TWO MONTHS AND HAS NO OTHER MEANS OF SUPPORT. 
AS ILLEGAL RESIDENTS, THEIR WORK OPPORTUNITIES ARE EXTREMELY 
LIMITED. 
 
4.  (SBU) THE UNHCR CASE:  A SHI'A FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLD 
WITH FIVE CHILDREN, THIS FAMILY ARRIVED IN JORDAN IN JANUARY 
2000 AND RECEIVED UNHCR REFUGEE STATUS IN 2002.  THE FEMALE 
HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD REPORTS THAT HER HUSBAND WAS FORCED TO 
REJOIN THE IRAQI ARMY AFTER HE HAD ALREADY FINISHED HIS 
COMPULSORY SERVICE.  THE WOMAN KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT HER 
HUSBAND'S WHEREABOUTS AND BELIEVES HER BROTHER-IN-LAW MIGHT 
HAVE BEEN EXECUTED AS PUNISHMENT AFTER HER HUSBAND FLED THE 
ARMY. THE FAMILY IS ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON UNHCR ASSISTANCE 
TO COVER THEIR HOUSING COSTS AND ON OCCASIONAL CHARITY AND 
SUPPORT TO PURCHASE FOOD.  THE FAMILY REPORTS THAT THEY WERE 
HARASSED BY THE JORDANIAN COMMUNITY IN THE THEIR PREVIOUS 
RESIDENCE IN JABAL AL-NASR, WHEN THEIR DISABLED 17-YEAR OLD 
CHILD WAS BEATEN BY NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN, THE MOTHER WAS 
SUBSEQUENTLY THREATENED BY THE PERPETRATORS' FAMILIES AND 
THE JORDANIAN POLICE FINALLY ADVISED THE FAMILY TO MOVE. 
WITH HOPES OF ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM UNHCR, 
THE FAMILY MOVED TO A NEW APARTMENT IN JEBEL EL WEBDEH, A 
SAFER AND MORE EXPENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD.  THIS FAMILY RECENTLY 
TOOK IN ANOTHER IRAQI FAMILY - A SINGLE MOTHER AND FOUR 
CHILDREN - LEAVING A TOTAL OF ELEVEN PEOPLE LIVING IN A 75- 
SQUARE METER (ROUGHLY 675 SQUARE FEET) APARTMENT.  THE 
FEMALE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD HAS STARTED CLEANING HOUSES IN THE 
NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT HER EARNINGS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT HER 
FAMILY.  THE FAMILY SEEKS ICMC ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING 
MEDICAL CARE FOR THE 17 YEAR-OLD DISABLED CHILD. 
 
5.  (SBU) THE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS:  A FIVE-PERSON MUSLIM 
FAMILY HAS BEEN LIVING IN JORDAN ILLEGALLY FOR FIVE YEARS, 
HAVING LEFT IRAQ FOR ECONOMIC REASONS.  THE MALE HEAD OF 
HOUSEHOLD WORKS AS AN ILLEGAL DAY LABORER, TRAVELING 
CONSTANTLY AROUND JORDAN LOOKING FOR WORK AND LIVING ON 
BELOW-STANDARD WAGES.  THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT ALLOWED THE 
CHILDREN TO BE REGISTERED AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR HUMANITARIAN 
REASONS BUT DOES NOT PERMIT THE FAMILY TO USE GOJ HEALTH 
FACILITIES.  ONE OF THE CHILDREN IS SUFFERING FROM A SERIOUS 
BLOOD DISEASE AND MOST OF THE TIME IS UNABLE TO ATTEND 
SCHOOL.  THE FAMILY DOES NOT KNOW HOW LONG THEY WILL BE ABLE 
TO STAY IN JORDAN AND APPARENTLY HAS NO MEANS TO GO BACK TO 
IRAQ.  THE FAMILY SEEKS ICMC ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING MEDICAL 
TREATMENT FOR THE ILL CHILD. 
GNEHM