Evidence Emerges That Iraqi Refugees are Being Forced Out of Syria by Need, Not Drawn Back to Iraq by Peace.

I'm getting the same feeling about the return of the refugees from Syria as about "Iraq is more peaceful".  Who told those refugees that "it was more peaceful, now"  and is the news covering up the real reasons some are returning?

 At least WP journalist Sudarsan Raghavan declined to add that into his report I posted on earlier, but the same kind of slimy journalism is  going on about the returnees from Syria.  many mainstream American journalists seem to be just reporting US official reasoning on the subject, though interviews from returnees show suspicious comments from the refugees themselves. 

I can't find one of the chipper early reports thrown out by American mainstream news anymore about the returning refugees.  I do remember watching an ABC video report about the situation 9as well as encountering the subject in print.  The ABC reporter was chippifying about how a more peaceful Iraq was drawing back refugees from Syria, about 1000 a day!  Chip chip chip!  Then first up comes a guy that looks suspiciously like one of those hanging around Chalabi in 2003.  Yes, everything better! Chip chip chip! Ronald Reagan, the president who called for journalist to only report happy news is smiling right now.

But then we start hearing other reasons for the returns.  Iraqis are not allowed to work in Syria, not allowed visas.  One pretty affluent appearing guy looks down and says words that the interpreter translates as "no one can live on their savings forever".  Most of the refugees do not look happy to be returning. 

Months ago, just before Syria started requiring visas from Iraqis, a mainstream report noted that ultimately Syria really just wanted more money from the UN to keep their border open, but the UN needed more money pledged from (you guessed it) the US to help out. Also, some decent numbers of acceptance from the US for Iraqi refugees would help.  That's not happening either. See "U.S., West seen skirting Iraqi refugee crisis.
 

Unfortunately, the massive number of Iraqi refugees in Syria  was a huge embarrassment to the the US.  You get the picture.  Little people are the Bush administration's chess pawns.

I cannot link directly to the ABC video news report. Sorry. Anyway a couple of days have passed and new even chippier news has covered that old thing.

But I do have some evidence that my pessimism on the returning refugees from Syria is valid.

Non American sources are not so chipper about the prospect:

Read the latest post from (at this time) from Baghdad Burning about how Riverbend's family was fighting to stay in Syria.  Yeah, that sounds like everything's fine in Iraq, now, sure.  They endured 8 hours of hell just to get new visas in order to remain in Syria longer.  (I linked to the post page.  To get to the top of the blog and see if a new post has been posted remove the excess from the url.  You cannot just click on the title like with most blogs).

Though chipper reports on refugees returning from Syria have fallen out of favor in the US there is still plenty of news on the phenomenon.   They come from the rest of the world and are not very hopeful.

Searching on "iraqis returning from syria" at Google News brings up the following list (I used the second page which seemed to cover more bases in issues and was shorter with fewer repeats).  Do use the search terms within quotes above to see what is on the front page.:

UNHCR warns against large-scale repatriation of Iraqi refugees
Xinhua, China - Nov 23, 2007
GENEVA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Amid media reports that thousands of refugees are going back to Iraq, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned on Friday that it was ...

UN refugee agency warns against return to Iraq AFP - Nov 23, 2007 GENEVA (AFP) — The United Nations refugee agency on Friday expressed concerns over reports Iraqi refugees are returning to the country, particularly from ...

Too soon to encourage Iraqis to return home: UNHCR Reuters - Nov 23, 2007 GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday it was too soon to encourage Iraqis to return to their homeland, although limited ...

UNHCR Releases Survey, Urges Caution on Iraqi Refugee Situation Associated Content, CO - 16 hours ago By Z. Perry Despite reports in some major media outlets that refugees are returning to Iraq due to safer conditions there, the United Nations refugee agency ...

Analysis: Iraqi refugees forced into sex United Press International - Nov 23, 2007 By ALICE NASCIMENTO UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- From the sharp decline in civilian and US soldier deaths to the notable drop in rocket and mortar ...

Slowly, cautiously, Iraqi refugees returning home People's Daily Online, China - Nov 22, 2007 Slowly, cautiously, but unmistakably, thousands of Iraqis who moved abroad to escape the violence are going home, stemming an exodus that has seen 4.2 ...

Notice that the most American Mainstream source in the list above (UPI) starts with the obligatory propaganda from the Bush administration, but then shows how Iraqi women are being forced into sex in Syria to survive.

Associated Content seems to be an American source, but it is based on news from regular people and therefore not mainstream. 

Excerpt from the Reuters report Too soon to encourage Iraqis to return home: UNHCR :

The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday it was too soon to encourage Iraqis to return to their homeland, although limited numbers have gone back from Syria after their money or visas ran out.

Roughly 1,500 Iraqi refugees were returning home each day from Syria, against 500 new arrivals, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said. It could not confirm Iraqi government reports that 46,000 Iraqis had returned from Syria in October.

"We welcome improvements to the security conditions and stand ready to assist people who have decided or will decide to return voluntarily. However, UNHCR does not believe that the time has come to promote, organize or encourage returns," spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis told a news briefing in Geneva.

A large-scale repatriation program would only be possible when proper conditions were met, including legal and material support and the physical safety of the refugees, she said.

"At the moment there is no sign of any large-scale return to Iraq as the security situation in many parts of the country remains volatile and unpredictable," Pagonis said.

...

A UNHCR survey of 110 Iraqi families in Syria found that most said they were going home "because they are running out of money and/or resources, face difficult living conditions or because their visas have expired," Pagonis said.

Visa restrictions recently imposed by Syria mean Iraqi refugees have been unable to shuttle back and forth between the two countries to get additional resources, make money or collect food or pensions, according to the UNHCR.   

tags: iraq  refugees  syria  riverbend  baghdad burning  

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