Syria Turns Away Iraqi Refugees At Border

[Robbien]

Source: Reuters

Syria began enforcing a new visa policy on Monday to stem the influx of thousands of refugees fleeing Iraq, witnesses said. The Tanaf crossing on Syria's desert border with Iraq was virtually empty of passengers after Syria stopped admitting Iraqis without visas at midnight, they said.

The new policy prohibits Iraqi passport holders, except for businessmen and academics, from entering Syria. Iraqis could previously turn up at any Syrian airport or border point and be automatically issued a three-month visa.

. . .

On Sunday, the day before the new regulations took effect, 5,000 Iraqis crossed into Syria, according to an aid agency.

. . .
Syria, which hosts over 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, said it took the step because it could no longer cope with the influx. Iraqi refugees began moving in huge numbers to Jordan and Syria after the 2003 U.S-led invasion.

Jordan tightened its visa policy towards Iraqis two years ago, leaving Syria the only accessible route until Monday for thousands seeking to flee Iraq.

Read more: http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=79452

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So that's it. There is now no where for fleeing Iraqis to go.

[Purveyor]

1. Good for Syria. Let Jordan give them passage into Israel. Israel wanted this fucking occupation,

high time they started to carry some of the burden...

[cali]

3. Israel is not responsible

for the Occupation. That would be the U.S. There was recently an article, in fact, posted here, in which Wilkenson, stated that all the Israelis who came to the state dept., advocated against attacking Iraq. AIPAC which did advocate for the war, is an AMERICAN organization. In any case, the U.S., wholly responsible for the attack on, and occupation of, Iraq, has taken in no more than a handful of refugees.

There's something really sleazy about denying our own country's culpabilty and fobbing it off on another.

[Selatius]

2. Ultimately, Syria was under no obligation to absorb any refugees whatsoever.

I'm actually surprised they kept open the border for four full years before shutting it down.

[ANCGuy]

5. The Syrians...

...have been remarkably decent. Not only to the Iraqi refugees -we- helped create, but for helping us find random Bad Guys. All the Bushies have done by way of thanks is to sabre rattle.

[burrowowl]

4. Good thing Riverbend and her family

got there before this, but ... who knows what can happen.
The U$ of A has created a a punishible mess under world treaties and the precedent of Nuremburg.

[Turner Ashby]

6. Actually Israel and America wanted this occupation

so we are both responsible. Further, both countries incessantly hype that Syria is the big, bad aggressor, next to Iran. Sryia needs to fully police its borders as much as possible. Nobody in or out. Unfortunately, the Americans might not be happy to get what they wished for. Not that many "terrorists" are coming over the border, but certainly Syria was relieving pressur in Iraq.

[cali]

7. Oh for fook's sake

Really? You mean Israel is more responsible than England? Than Italy? Than Spain? Than Poland. They all sent troops to Iraq.