US embassy cable - 03AMMAN3310

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003310 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/ANE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, EAID, IZ, LE, JO 
SUBJECT: MONITORING AND EVALUATING ICMC'S LEGAL AND SOCIAL 
PROTECTION PROJECT IN LEBANON 
 
REF: 02 STATE 195205 
 
1.  Embassy Beirut cleared this message. 
 
2.  As requested reftel, Regional Refcoord monitored the 
International Catholic Migration Commission's (ICMC) legal 
and social protection project on May 13, 2003.  Report is 
keyed to questions provided reftel. 
 
A.  On May 13, refcoord and Embassy Beirut poloff met with 
ICMC Forced Migration Specialist Jim Kelly and 
Caritas/Lebanon Migrants Center Director Najla Chahda. 
Beirut-based Kelly serves as Program Manager, in addition to 
his broader ICMC responsibilities in the Middle East and 
North Africa.  Chahda  serves as project coordinator, in 
addition to her overall management responsibilities at the 
Migrants Center. 
 
B.  ICMC has not implemented the project as outlined in the 
cooperative agreement.  ICMC cites changes in UNHCR's Lebanon 
staff and a greatly improved protection environment as its 
reasons for not implementing the project as planned (see para 
D for details).  Based on discussions with ICMC staff, it 
appears that ICMC's focus on helping Caritas establish a new 
migrants center (which was partially funded by this project) 
and helping its other regional partners develop contingency 
plans for a crisis in Iraq also contributed to the delays. 
Given recent events in Iraq, ICMC and UNHCR have proposed 
that the project be refocused to assist UNHCR in its planned 
voluntary repatriation program for Iraqis resident in 
Lebanon.  Details of the proposed new activities are provided 
in para H.  Refcoord and Embassy Beirut support ICMC's 
proposal. 
 
C.  ICMC reports that it spent the first six months of the 
cooperative agreement trying to negotiate terms of reference 
with UNHCR, identifying new space for Caritas Lebanon's 
Migrants Center and then hiring and training new staff -- one 
project officer and two social workers.  The three staff 
members began work on March 1, 2003 and by mid-May had 
conducted counseling sessions for only six families.  ICMC 
has not conducted any orientation sessions or provided legal 
assistance under this cooperative agreement.  ICMC has spent 
between 10 and 15 percent of the grant.  (ICMC said specific 
financial reporting was included in its interim report to 
PRM.) 
 
D.  ICMC reports that changes in UNHCR/Lebanon staff required 
ICMC to reopen discussions on the project in October 2002. 
ICMC claims that former UNHCR/Lebanon Representative Rafik 
Saidi had agreed to the project but that new UNHCR 
Representative Mustapha Djemali had not been briefed on the 
project.  (Comment:  Given that Djemali assumed his 
responsibilities in January 2002, it is unclear why ICMC had 
not briefed UNHCR on the proposed project prior to PRM's 
funding decision in September 2002.)  At the same time, 
however, UNHCR repaired its previously poor relationship with 
the Government of Lebanon and improved conditions for asylum 
seekers, including a reduction in the waiting time for 
refugee status determination (RSD) from one year to six 
months and an end to deportations of individuals of concern 
to UNHCR.  UNHCR reportedly told ICMC that the PRM-funded 
project no longer fit the new, improved protection 
environment in Lebanon.  (Note:  While these discussions with 
UNHCR were underway, ICMC also was implementing three other 
new projects, funded by the European Commission, G/TIP and 
PRM.  Embassy Beirut and refcoord suspect ICMC simply may 
have taken on more projects and new funding than it could 
handle.) 
 
ICMC admits that it put this project's implementation on hold 
in January 2003, as regional tensions grew and humanitarian 
agencies -- including ICMC -- began to plan for a crisis in 
Iraq.  When UNHCR stopped refugee status determinations for 
Iraqis in March 2003, the project's prime beneficiary pool -- 
Iraqi asylum seekers -- evaporated and UNHCR RSD processing 
time was reduced to just one week.  ICMC did not keep 
refcoord or Embassy Beirut informed of these developments, 
nor did it provide an interim report to PRM by the required 
February 15 deadline.  (ICMC claims that the report was 
submitted to PRM/Compt in April 2003.)  Refcoord requested an 
update on the project in late April 2003. 
 
E.  ICMC has five staff working on this project.  ICMC Forced 
Migration Specialist Kelly (who should spend 20 percent of 
his time on this project), Caritas Migrant Center Director 
Chahda (who should spend 25 percent of her time on this 
project), one full-time project coordinator; two full-time 
social workers, one full-time receptionist and one janitor 
(75 percent of his salary is paid by this project).  Given 
that the project has assisted only six families, the 
personnel are far from fully and gainfully employed. 
 
F.  ICMC's project is run from Caritas' brand-new Migrants 
Center.  The center is spacious and well-equipped with new 
furniture and furnishings, all of which appear to be in 
working condition.  Classrooms and four offices were equipped 
and furnished by this grant and are tracked by an acceptable 
inventory control system. 
 
G.  N/A 
 
H.  ICMC believes -- and UNHCR agrees -- that the project as 
outlined in the cooperative agreement no longer serves any 
useful purpose, as the protection environment in Lebanon has 
been significantly improved by greater UNHCR-GOL cooperation 
(including a new MOU awaiting approval by the GOL), a 
reduction in RSD processing time and a reduction in the 
population of concern to UNHCR, thanks to regime change in 
Iraq.  UNHCR informed ICMC and refcoord that it needs 
assistance in the voluntary repatriation of the estimated 
30,000 Iraqis resident in Lebanon and would like to see the 
current project refocused on Iraqi returns.  Specifically, 
UNHCR and ICMC have proposed that the project be recast to 
include: 
 
-- Orientation sessions for returning Iraqis, including 
registration on behalf of UNHCR, an explanation of the return 
process and requirements, preparation of handouts explaining 
the return process, as well as screening of prospective 
returnees. 
-- Information/communication services to inform prospective 
returnees of current conditions and employment prospects in 
Iraq.  ICMC could tap into planned Caritas and Catholic 
Relief Services programming inside Iraq to obtain up-to-date 
information about Iraq. 
-- Family counseling, focusing on more difficult return cases 
such as vulnerable individuals or individuals without 
documentation. 
 
Based on May 12 discussions with UNHCR Representative Djemali 
and Senior Regional Durable Solutions Officer Mohammed 
Hantoush, Refcoord is confident that UNHCR supports ICMC's 
proposal and is ready to facilitate its efforts.  UNHCR 
already has asked ICMC to begin assisting UNHCR in its 
registration process for prospective Iraqi returnees. 
Whatever bad relations may have existed previously between 
UNHCR and ICMC seem to have been resolved.  Moreover, ICMC's 
successful implementation of PRM's other Lebanon project 
(assistance for vulnerable Iraqis, reported septel) indicates 
that ICMC has the capacity to implement projects even though 
its performance on this project has been disappointing. 
Given UNHCR and PRM's upcoming focus on assisting Iraqi 
returns, refocusing this project as proposed by ICMC seems to 
be a logical solution that will further PRM's regional policy 
goals.  ICMC plans to submit a no-cost extension request, 
detailing its proposed new activities and any necessary 
budget revisions, with a planned end date of December 31, 
2003, and is in discussions with partners Catholic Relief 
Services and International Orthodox Christian Charities to 
ensure the project fits into larger regional return plans. 
Embassy Beirut notes that several hundred Iraqis have already 
returned to Iraq from Lebanon and many others are requesting 
assistance to do so.  Embassy Beirut and refcoord therefore 
recommend that PRM approve ICMC,s request to refocus the 
project on Iraqi returns. 
 
GNEHM