Syria: Iraqi Refugees to Move to Europe and US

Courtesy AKT

Damascus, 26 March (AKI) – Around 12,000 Iraqi refugees living in Syria will be resettled in Europe and the United States, according to an official from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Germany, the US, Canada, The Netherlands and other countries, have agreed to host a number of Iraqi refugees in Syria, an unnamed source told Adnkronos International (AKI).

The resettlement of the refugees began in February and the UNHCR is continuing to evaluate tens of thousands of files to establish who has the necessary requirements to qualify for resettlement.

“Germany has agreed to take in 2,500 refugees, and the same with The Netherlands, while the United States 5,000 others,” the official source told AKI.

“Some of the refugees will attend classes that will help them integrate to their new host country.”

The UNHCR source, however, rejected the notion that religion played a role in the selection of candidates.

“There is no preference about this point and among the conditions by host countries there is absolutely no discrimination in this sense,” said the source.

The UNHCR provides food aid to Iraqi refugees living in Syria and emergency financial aid grants of up to 100 dollars a month to many of them, including widows, senior citizens and handicapped people.

Syria hosts almost two million refugees from the strife-torn nation at an annual cost of 1.6 billion dollars. Damascus has appealed to the UNHCR and the international community to guarantee the refugees a dignified life.

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