Syria and cutting off Iraqi refugee flow
Regarding Iraqi refugee flow into Syria, the US department Of State was asked yesterday that "the Syrians say that they want to expel the 1.5 million Iraqis who have sought refuge in Syria over the period of the last four years. I know that we aren't on the best of terms with the Syrians, but are you trying to work out some agreement between they and the Iraqis and ourselves?"
US Department Of State Spokesman Sean McCormack said "it's a real issue of concern to us, Joel. And the Syrian Government has made a number of different contradictory public statements about whether or not they want to continue to allow Iraqis seeking refuge into Syria. We, as well as others in the international community, would encourage the Syrian Government to meet their international obligations with respect to refugees. These are people who are fleeing a very difficult situation in Iraq and we would encourage the Syrians to act in a humane manner with respect to many of these people who are leaving their homes under very difficult circumstances."
He added "And we're trying to do our part throughout the region to help those children who have fled with their families to have access to education as well as basic humanitarian needs for the people that have fled. But this is a truly international effort. This is not a US-Syria issue. We are continuing to try to work with the Syrian Government on one aspect of -- I guess, one bilateral aspect of the issue, and that is allowing the Syrian Government -- getting the Syrian Government to issue visas for our Department of Homeland Security people who are interviewing some of those Iraqis who have been qualified as refugees who have stated that they want to resettle in the United States. Thus far, that's been a bottleneck because our people have not been able to get into Syria and we'd like to have those people get into Syria and be able to perform that function."
Asked that the US has its own processes when it comes to refugees and you follow UNHCR rules and clearly don't allow people -- Iraqis or anybody else -- into the country unless they've gone through that process, and if the US position is that Iraq's neighbors, including Syria, have the obligation to admit anyone before they've gone through any such processes?
McCormack said "Well, there are certain obligations that countries have with respect to allowing in those people who are seeking refuge from -- who are in extremis for a variety of different reasons. There are international obligations with respect to that."
