Bad news for Iraqis should be bad news for Petraeus

UNHCR says new Syrian visa rules blocking Iraqis from entering country
The Associated PressPublished: September 11, 2007

GENEVA: One of the last remaining routes for Iraqis trying to flee their country has effectively been closed off by new visa restrictions imposed by Syria, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday.

Officials from the agency who visited the Iraqi-Syrian border Monday found the usually busy crossing virtually empty, said Ron Redmond, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

"These visa restrictions have had a direct and immediate impact on the numbers of Iraqis crossing that border," he told reporters in Geneva.

UNHCR estimates that about 2,000 Iraqis leave their homes every day due to violence and economic uncertainty resulting from the four-year conflict.

While many seek refuge with friends and relatives in other parts of Iraq, hundreds of thousands have moved to neighboring countries such as Syria, where some 1.5 million Iraqis now live.

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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/11/news/UN-GEN-UN-Iraq-Refugees.php

Jordan restricted entries from Iraq refugees a couple of years ago. Where will all these people go now?