Jordan Times
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Gov’t to conduct
survey on Iraqi expatriates
By Khalid Neimat
AMMAN — The government on Monday said it would conduct a survey to identify the
number of Iraqis in the country and their residency status.
Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh told reporters at his weekly press briefing
yesterday that an international organisation would take part in the survey.
He denied that Jordan was imposing strict procedures to prevent Iraqis from
entering the Kingdom, adding that the study should be completed, “before jumping
to conclusions.”
Last week, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres urged the
international community to support countries hosting Iraqi refugees,
particularly Jordan and Syria.
During a visit to Amman, Guterres met with Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit and
Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib, who briefed him on the services Jordan is
offering Iraqis, despite the increasing difficulties it is facing as a result of
the refugee influx.
Almost four million Iraqis are currently displaced with an estimated 750,000 in
Jordan, and around a million in Syria, according to the UNHCR.
Guterres, who discussed pressing issues such as security, health and education
with government officials, asked them for continued patience and support.
“We value Guterres’ appeal to the international community to help Jordan,” Judeh
said.
Responding to a question on the announcement of yesterday’s decision by the
Jerusalem Municipality to stop excavation near the Aqsa Mosque compound in the
Old City of occupied East Jerusalem, Judeh said, “we will wait before judging
this decision.”
He said several types of excavation were in progress in the area, carried out by
the Jerusalem Municipality, the Israeli Antiquities Department and other
parties.
“According to our information, the decision only included digging by loader,”
but digging by hand for antiquities continues, Judeh said.
He reiterated Jordan’s call on all Arab, Muslim countries and the international
community to exert pressure on Israel to immediately stop these activities near
the mosque - Islam’s third holiest site.
Israel insists the works, expected to take months, pose no risk to the holy
sites and will strengthen an access ramp for the “benefit and safety of
visitors” after earthquake and snowstorm damage in 2004.
Meanwhile, Judeh stressed that most of the information published in the local
press about the government plan to increase public servants’ salaries was “not
true.”
“The government will reveal its plan soon,” he said, calling on the press to
wait until the final decision was announced.
“Any wrong or misleading information on this subject will hamper the process,”
and confuse the public, he added.