Rights group draws government criticism for interference in refugee issue

Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed surprise after an accusation by the Jordanian government that the rights group had interfered in the country’s internal affairs by commenting on the plight of Palestinian refugees stranded at the Iraqi-Jordanian border. “We’re totally surprised,” said Christoph Wilcke, a member of HRW’s Middle East section. “In our last statement, we clearly mentioned that it was unfair to expect Jordan to shoulder the refugee burden alone.” In a 7 April statement, the New-York based rights watchdog also urged the international community “to assist Jordan and resettle the Iraqi Palestinians in third countries acceptable to refugees”. Nevertheless, on 10 April, government spokesman Nasser Judeh accused HRW of “shifting emphasis from concern for human rights, perhaps, to politics, interfering in the sovereign and political rights of every sovereign nation”. “It is unfair to expect Jordan to have an open-door policy,” Judeh added. According to government figures, over half a million Iraqis are currently settled in Jordan, although International organisations say the number is closer to one million. In addition, the country also plays host to another 1.8 million Palestinian refugees under the umbrella of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East. Judeh noted that Jordan has done “its fair share at huge financial cost over many decades” to accept and settle refugees. “Iraq is surrounded by five countries,” the spokesman added. “I find it very strange that the onus is on Jordan to open up its borders to anybody and everybody.” In previous reports, HRW quoted Palestinians fleeing from escalating violence in Iraq as saying that Jordan represented their only hope of safety. Ever since the 2003 US-led invasion, Palestinians in Iraq have been subject to frequent violence, due to a perception among some Iraqis that the Palestinians enjoyed privileges under the former regime of Saddam Hussein. Jordan’s Ruweished camp, 70km inside the border, currently shelters more than 700 Iraqi refugees who fled their country after the beginning of the US-led war in 2003. Of these, 110 are second or third-generation Palestinians. “Some of them are relatives of the Iraqi Palestinians on the other side of the border,” said Wilcke. “That would also explain their wish to come to Jordan.” HRW also noted that some Iraqi Palestinians tried to get into Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with an equal lack of success. Aware of the fact that Jordan has no legal obligation to take in the refugees, HWR has urged the kingdom to accept 130 Iraqi Palestinians, stranded on the border for two weeks, into Ruweished. “We recognise the tremendous work Jordan has done in the past to receive refugees. However, it’s inhumane to leave the refugees at the border,” said Wilcke. “Jordan has the moral obligation to take this affordable number of people.” HWR has further called upon the international community, especially other countries of the Middle East, to consider taking in numbers of Palestinians fleeing sectarian violence in Iraq. Meanwhile, UN refugee agency UNHCR and the Iraqi Red Crescent Society have provided limited assistance to refugees at the border, despite considerable difficulties involved in reaching the camp. Iraqi authorities estimate the number of Palestinians currently resident in the country at 34,000. UNHCR has registered 23,000, mostly in the capital, Baghdad. UNHCR officials could not be reached for comments on scheduled talks on the issue between the refugee agency and Iraqi officials on the issue of Palestinian refugees stranded between the Iraqi/Jordanian border.