Palestinians of al-Rweished camp still face unknown fate
Palestine-Jordan, Politics, 5/26/2004

The UNHCR said that so far it is not able to finding out a solution for 350 Palestinians who resorted to al-Rweished camp on the Jordanian - Iraqi borders.

In a statement yesterday, the UNHCR announced it was not able to convince any country to accept the Palestinians who carry " Iraqi documents" and prefer to return back to the West Bank and Gaza and even to Israel.

The statement added that UNHCR worked closely in 2003 with the Jordanian government which showed great co-operation to receive the refugees and finding out solutions for special conditions. In 2003 Jordan agreed to receive 386 Palestinians married to Jordanian women but accepted not others.

The statement explained that 26 Palestinians among the left group in al-Rweished camp chose to return back to Baghdad last week including a nine- member family.

The statement stressed that "the UNHCR does not force the asylum seekers to return back to Iraq, however, those felt they will be in a better condition in Iraq despite the current difficult security conditions there.

Families living in the camp started a hunger strike several days ago demanding compensations over the burning of their tents in a fire erupted in the camp but the UNHCR refused that.

Earlier, the spokeswoman for the Jordanian Government Asmaa Khuder described this month the situation of persons pending in al-Rweishad camp as " catastrophic," but stressed that accepting new refugees into the Kingdom threatened to open " the appetite " of several sides to resort to Jordan.

By the end of 2003, the Jordanian government decided to postpone its plans state to close al-Rweishad camp which includes hundreds of persons resorted from Iraq during the American invasion. Most of them are Palestinians carrying Iraqi documents. This, however, is for security reasons.

Previous Stories:
  Jordan FM confers with Qurei' on summit arrangements   (4/9/2004)
  Amman: detention of 60 persons burnt the Jordanian flag in a Palestinian demonstration   (3/30/2004)
  Jordan rejects to give Gaza's refugees Jordanian nationality   (3/1/2004)

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