According to a number of sources, the estimates for Iraqis who went to Jordan after 1991 vary from 30,000 to 130,000 (Country Reports for 1993, 1219; Gulf Information Project Jan. 1994, 2; World Refugee Survey 1993 1993, 105). According to the Gulf Information Project, as of June 1993, only 171 out of 2,800 Iraqi cases presented to the UNHCR in Jordan were accepted as refugees by that organization (Jan. 1994, 2). The World Refugee Survey 1993 indicates that "Iraqis are permitted to enter Jordan without visas, but they do need a passport and an exit permit from the Iraqi side, which means that very few are recognized as refugees" (1993, 105).

The large number of Iraqi deserters in Amman has apparently weakened the relations between Jordan and Iraq (Moneyclips, 21 Jan. 1995). Some sources mention that Iraqi deserters in Jordan have crossed the border into Israel with the intention of requesting political asylum (AFP 7 Dec. 1992; Arab Press Service Diplomat Recorder 9 Apr. 1994; The Independent 8 Feb. 1995). According to AFP, one deserter told the Israeli police that "he feared the Jordanian authorities would hand him back to the Iraqis and so he preferred to come to Israel" (7 Dec. 1992).

In its section on Jordan, World Refugee Survey 1993 states that "no allowance is made for refugees, but no cases of refoulement were recorded during the year" (1993, 105). The Country Reports for 1994 states that "there have been no reports that the Government has expelled anyone with a valid claim to refugee status" (1995, 1119). For further information on the above-mentioned subjects, please consult the attached documents.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 7 December 1992. "Iraqi Deserter Seeks Refugee in Israel." (NEXIS)

Arab Press Service Diplomat Recorder (APS). 9 April 1994. Vol. 40, No. 15. "Arabs-Israel - April 8 - Iraqis Cross Into Israel." (NEXIS)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1994. 1995. US Department of State. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. US Department of State. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Gulf Information Project. January 1994. "Aftermath of the Golf Crisis: Refugees, Displaced and Stateless People, and returned Migrants," London: British Refugee Council.

_____. January 1994. "Jordan: Returnees and Refugees After the Gulf War," London: British Refugee Council.

Moneyclips [London]. 21 January 1995. Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid. "Arab View: Self-imposed Embargo." (NEXIS)

US Committee for Refugees (USCR). 1993. World Refugee Survey 1993. Washington, DC: USCR, pp. 104-105.

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 7 December 1992. "Iraqi Deserter Seeks Refugee in Israel." (NEXIS)

Arab Press Service Diplomat Recorder (APS). 9 April 1994. Vol. 40, No. 15. "Arabs-Israel - April 8 - Iraqis Cross Into Israel." (NEXIS)

Gulf Information Project. January 1994. "Aftermath of the Golf Crisis: Refugees, Displaced and Stateless People, and returned Migrants," London: British Refugee Council, pp. 1-4.

_____. January 1994. "Jordan: Returnees and Refugees After the Gulf War," London: British Refugee Council, pp. 1-2.

The Independent [London]. 8 February 1995. Patrick Cockburn. "Iraqi Defectors Languish in Israel Jail." (NEXIS)

Moneyclips [London]. 21 January 1995. Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid. "Arab View: Self-imposed Embargo." (NEXIS)

World Refugee Report. July 1993. Prepared by the Bureau for Refugee Programs. Washington, DC: United States Department of State, pp. 189-191.

US Committee for Refugees (USCR). 1993. World Refugee Survey 1993. Washington, DC: USCR, pp. 104-105.