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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
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April 13th,
2009 - The Crisis of Iraqi Refugees Through the Levant |
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The Crisis of
Iraqi Refugees Through the Levant By Noureddine Jebnoun Middle East Times April 13, 2009 The Iraqi refugee crisis is
largely undocumented by the media. Reporters have been largely disinterested
in the phenomenon, yet it is large-scale. It is, indeed, the most important
regional movement of population in the Middle East since 1948. The war launched by the
United States against Iraq in March 2003 has led to the displacement of
approximately 4.2 million individuals, including 2.2 million within Iraq,
while 1.8 million have left the country, mostly to neighboring countries:
Syria (1.2 to 1.5 million), Jordan (500,000 to 700,000), Egypt (120,000), and
Lebanon (40,000). Others have migrated to Turkey and Iran, and a small
proportion of refugees were accommodated by Western countries (mainly the
United States, Canada, Australia, Finland and Sweden). These figures are however a
subject of controversy and, more organizations as well as independent experts
believe that these numbers are largely exaggerated. Syria has quickly emerged as
a preferred destination for Iraqi refugees. Geographical proximity, easy
access to public services such as health and education, the low cost of
living, as well as the open border policy carried out by the Syrian
government are the many factors that encouraged the departures towards Syria. Indeed, in accordance with
the ideology advocated by the pan-Arab regime, the Iraqis, as Arab citizens,
did not need an entry visa to Syria until September 2007, when restrictions
came into effect in order to limit the continuous flow of arrivals. As for other Arab countries,
they have shown much more reluctance to accommodate the Iraqis. A first wave of refugees
arrived in Syria shortly after the invasion of Iraq by the American forces.
It included members of the Baath Party, mainly the most threatened such as
party leaders and key members of the government of Saddam Hussein. The combats in Fallujah in
November 2004 triggered a second wave of migration to neighboring countries,
this time bringing a more heterogeneous population. Finally, the attack against
the Shiite shrine of Imam al-Askari, on 22 February 2006, led to a third
movement of people, the largest in terms of number of people displaced since
the beginning of the war in Iraq. Most Iraqi refugees
currently present in Syria are townsmen originating from Baghdad, and
represent the Iraqi middle class. Sunni and Shiite Muslims represent about 80
percent of the refugee population. Christians are also fairly well
represented, accounting for approximately 18.5 percent of the refugee
population in Syria though they comprise only 2 percent of the total
population in Iraq. The Iraqi refugees have the
peculiarity of being located in the heart of cities, and not in refugee camps
as was the case for the Palestinians. This makes their registration and supervision
by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the NGOs on the
ground more difficult. Today, their situation is
alarming. The gradual depletion of their savings, combined with the
prohibition of work leads to poverty and a lower standard of living for the
families. On the other hand, this
massive influx within the urban population has had a heavy impact on host
countries. In Syria, the refugees have undoubtedly exerted massive pressure
on the health and education infrastructures, which were quickly overwhelmed,
and they have also contributed to the soaring cost of rent and housing in
Syria's cities. The cost to the national
economy, according to the Syrian government, amounts to approximately $2
billion annually. However, according to the International Monetary Fund,
Syria has begun, in recent years, a process of economic rebound, in which
Iraqi refugees seem to play a positive role by participating in the increase
in consumer demand and in investment. Thus, instead of serving to burden the
Syrian economy as expected, the mass of refugees has created a positive
impact in terms of economic growth. Meanwhile, its burgeoning
population has become a political issue for the Syrian regime. Having been
largely inconsequential in Arab foreign policy, Damascus knew to exploit,
both at the regional and international level, the "warm" welcome
given to Iraqi refugees in an attempt to break its diplomatic isolation, to
extend its network of influence in the Arab world, and attract international
assistance for the development of the whole economy and society in Syria. The total withdrawal of U.S.
troops from Iraq by the end of 2011, announced by President Barack Obama,
will certainly encourage Iraqi refugees to return home. However, American
disengagement does not mean the restoration of national security. Sectarian
tensions and violence, which were the leading cause of the departures, will
remain a major obstacle to the return of all refugees to Iraq. Noureddine Jebnoun is a
visiting professor for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs at The University of
Montana's Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center in Missoula. External link: http://www.metimes.com/Opinion/2009/04/13/the_crisis_of_iraqi_refugees_through_the_levant/9905/ |