11/21/2005

Below is an excerpt of an artilce from IRIN:

A group of Palestinian refugees from Iraq have been allowed into Syria, settling in shelters at a UN refugee camp after having been stranded on the border for over a month, the UNHCR in Damascus confirmed on Sunday.

The group of 19 refugees, which include children and elderly people, had been stuck at the al-Waleed border post since October 4.

Seeking refuge in Syria from deteriorating security conditions in Iraq, they had initially been denied entry due to their lack of personal documentation, such as passports.

While in limbo on the border, however, the refugees had been provided by the UNHCR with tents, blankets and food, and were visited twice by a doctor.

...

Refugees International reported that 22,000 Iraqi refugees have registered in total for temporary protection with the UNHCR office in Damascus.

There has been a steady rise in the number of Iraqi refugees crossing into Syria since September, following two major US-led offensives against so-called “insurgents” in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, which have included air strikes and as many as 3,500 US and Iraqi ground troops.