- Title: IRAN: HEAD OF UNHCR RUUD LUBBERS VISITS BORDER REFUGEE CAMP FOR IRAQIS
- Date: 21st July 2003
- Summary: (W4) AHVAZ, KHUZESTAN PROVINCE, IRAN (JULY 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES VARIOUS, (UNHCR) HEAD, RUUD LUBBERS, ARRIVING AT ASHRAFI REFUGEE CAMP BY CAR 0.03 2. WIDE OF REFUGEES GATHERING 0.08 3. SLV LUBBERS LEAVING CAR AND GOING INTO BUILDING 0.19 4. WIDE OF REFUGEES HOLDING WELCOME PL
- Embargoed: 5th August 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: AHVAZ, KHUZESTAN PROVINCE, IRAN
- Country: Iran
- Reuters ID: LVA3VOMQ098XG7HHEVXDP2U4IDPS
- Story Text: The head of the United Nations agency for refugees,
Ruud Lubbers, has been visiting an Iraqi refugee camp situated
across the border in Iran.
The United States High Commissioner for refugees
(UNHCR), Ruud Lubbers raised the plight of thousands of Iraqis
who are living in the Ashrafi refugee camp in Iran at a press
conference following a visit to the camp on Monday (July 21).
Lubbers received a hero's welcome as he arrived at the
camp which is home to hundred of Iraqis of Iranian origin.
Many fled from Iraq during the conflict with Iran in the
1980's and the first Gulf war after the invasion of Kuwait in
1991.
The UNHCR chief visited a mosque and received a bouquet
from a young girl before pledging to help the refugees who are
ready to come back home after the fall of Saddam Hussein's
regime.
"We will start, step by step, family by family, trying to
organise repatriation all together," Lubbers told the
refugees.
Around four million Iraqis are believed to have fled
during Saddam's two-decade regime, most settled permanently
abroad. However, since the fall of Saddam's government to
invading U.S.-led forces in March, many exiles have asked to
go home.
Lubbers, who came to Iran after visiting Iraq and Jordan,
asked for more cooperation to help the plight of the Iraqi
refugees.
He called on the Iraqis to help their 'brothers' who had
been in exile for ten years and accused the United States and
United Kingdom of "strong hesitation" on the issue of
trepatriation for the displaced Iraqis.
"I want to prove that these returns can be done in peace
and harmony," he said.
Lubbers was expected to visit Iraq and then Teheran, where
he would raise the issue of around 23,000 Iranian refugees in
Iraq.
Some of these belong to armed groups hostile to the
Iranian government who feel it is too risky to return to their
own country without guarantees of safety from their
government.
(pr/nc)
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