Is Jordan the only country deporting Iraqis?
Sean: No, we’ve seen Lebanon deporting Iraqis as well, citing similar reasons. Syria is really the only exception—it is the only large host country that has not started deporting. However, we are getting indications that Syria is growing more and more concerned about the surging Iraqi population. Syria, with its weak economy and high unemployment rate, is very poorly equipped to host refugees, and the international community is providing almost no support for them. When we were there we didn’t see any international organizations operating on the ground to provide humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees. The United Nations High Commissioner Office for Refugees (UNHCR) in Syria had a budget of just $700,000 to host 750,000 refugees—that’s about a dollar a year per a person. So the Syrian government has basically had to go it alone. Without any assistance from the international community, Syria may be forced to close its border. This would deal a devastating blow to Iraqis trying to esc
