Jordan Times
Thursday, September 1, 2005
Interior minister
discusses residency issue with Iraqi ambassador
AMMAN (Petra) — Interior Minister Awni Yarvas on Wednesday discussed the issue
of Iraqi nationals' residency in Jordan with Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Ata
Abdul Wahab. Yarvas explained that the head of an Iraqi family who obtains an
annual residency permit can send his children to Jordanian schools, but Iraqis
with visitors' visas are not eligible. Unofficial estimates put the number of
Iraqis in Jordan at 300,000. Earlier this week, the Interior Ministry has issued
new instructions banning Arab students from enrolment in both public and private
schools unless they or their parents hold permanent residency permits. An
Interior Ministry official said an official letter had been sent to the
Education Ministry with instructions to forward it to all the education
departments in the country.