US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2896

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002896 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA AND PRM, CENTCOM FOR POLAD 
NSC FOR ABRAMS, THEROUX AND KHALILZAD 
DOD FOR OSD/NESA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PREF, IZ, TC 
SUBJECT: NEED FOR GUIDANCE ON IRAQI PASSPORT ISSUES 
 
REF:  A) AMMAN 3455 
 
      B) ABU DHABI 2529 
      C) STATE 100462 
 
1.  This is an action request; see paragraph 4. 
 
2.  Like our colleagues in Embassy Amman (ref A), Embassy 
officers here have received more than 50 calls and walk-ins 
since the closure of the Iraqi Embassy in Abu Dhabi in early 
June from Iraqi nationals resident in the UAE for assistance 
with consular services and travel to Iraq.  Those who first 
contact the UAEG seeking assistance are now being automatically 
referred to us for help.  We expect that the number of requests 
for assistance will grow exponentially as days pass, given that 
there are reportedly more than 80,000 Iraqis resident in the 
UAE. 
 
3.  Our Iraqi callers fear that their inability to renew their 
passports will jeopardize their residency status in the UAE and 
affect their ability to travel abroad, whether for education 
purposes or medical treatment.  The following two cases are 
representative of the urgent requests for assistance that we 
have received: 
 
--An Iraqi engineer resident in the UAE requested assistance 
because his Iraqi passport expires in two months and the UAEG 
will not renew his residency visa unless his passport is valid 
for at least six months.  When his residency visa expires, he 
will become an illegal overstay and lose his employment. 
 
--The Iraqi Office Director to the UAE Minister of Interior 
requested assistance on behalf of his son, whose Iraqi passport 
expired in May.  The son has been studying at a Canadian 
university for three years.  The university refused to enroll 
the Office Director's son this summer because his passport had 
expired, and advised him that he will not be allowed to enroll 
this fall for his final year if his passport is not renewed. 
 
4.  We note that our consular section has received at least one 
application for a U.S. visa by an Iraqi citizen holding a 
passport issued after 19 March.  An SAO request was submitted 
pursuant to ref C. 
 
5.  ACTION REQUEST:  We request Department guidance at the 
soonest on how we should respond to requests for assistance.  We 
also need guidance that we can pass to the UAEG outlining when 
we expect passport services to resume at the Iraqi Embassy in 
Abu Dhabi.  In the meantime, the Ambassador is seeking the 
assistance of de facto UAE Foreign Minister Hamdan bin Zayid to 
ensure that the Emiratis grant waivers to Iraqi citizen 
residents who are experiencing visa/residency difficulties. 
 
WAHBA