UN scrambles aid as Syrians flood into Iraqi Kurdistan Read

[Aslan]

GENEVA (AFP) – The UN refugee agency said Friday it was scrambling aid in northern Iraq after thousands of Syrians crossed the tightly-controlled border in a sudden and unexplained influx.

The vast majority of the new arrivals were women, children and elderly people from embattled Aleppo in northwestern Syria or communities in the northeast, closer to Iraq.

UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said 750 people initially crossed the Tigris River at Peshkhabour in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday, followed by a huge crowd of between 5,000 and 7,000.

UNHCR and other aid agencies, along with local authorities, rushed food and water to the site, and were working round the clock to build a camp away from the border zone for the new arrivals.

"The factors allowing this sudden movement are not yet fully clear to us," Edwards told reporters. "Both the Syrian and Iraqi sides of the frontier at Peshkhabour are normally tightly controlled."

Syrian war refugees' access to Iraq has been erratic, with local political tensions and fears of a spillover of the conflict leading Kurdistan region authorities to shut the border in May.

Some restrictions were eased last month to allow Syrians stuck in their homeland to join family members already in Iraq, but numbers seeking to cross the border had remained relatively low.
It was not clear whether the new arrivals were from Syria's long-marginalised Kurdish minority, which has walked a fine line since the conflict erupted in 2011.

Syria's Kurds have tried to avoid antagonising forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad or rebels fighting to overthrow him, but there has been fierce fighting in recent weeks between Syrian Kurdish forces and the Islamist Al-Nusra Front, which is also fighting Assad.

Earlier this month, Iraqi Kurdistan's leader threatened to intervene to protect Kurds in Syria.
According to the United Nations, Iraq hosts more than 160,000 registered Syrian refugees, most of whom are Kurds.

All told, more than 1.9 million Syrians have fled their homeland's civil war, with most seeking a haven in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

[Anthea]

I think that countries such as England - should throw out all the pretend refugees and make room for the real ones - people who have lost everything including family members and friends - those who have been lucky to have escaped from the very jaws of death

I have met many genuine refugees - victims of torture - cannot say more - I have met a lot more pretend refugees - those who come here who already have homes in safe parts of their own country

The instant that someone who has claimed refugee status returns to their country of origin - they should immediately lose any right to remain in England - let us help those poor people who really need help

[Anthea]

Examples of a real genuine refugees:

He was 8 years old when he killed the soldier who was violently raping his YOUNGER sister - she died as a result of the attack - he was taken by the soldiers - beaten and tortured - he was lucky to escape with his life - he will never be able to return to his homeland - he is a refugee

He was married - a political activist - imprisoned and tortured - friends helped him and his family escape - his photo was in the media - he looks differently now - he will never be able to see his homeland or his elderly parents again - he is a refugee

He was on the back of a motorbike carrying anti government leaflets - they were shot at - his friend killed - he was caught and tortured - his parents and siblings were arrested - he escaped - his parents were released but one of his his sisters vanished inside the prison - he will always blame himself for what has happened to his sister even though he still cannot find out - he will never be able to return to his homeland - he is a refugee

He has a kebab shop - he lied and claimed asylum and has now become a British citizen - he returns home to Turkey every year for a holiday - he was never a genuine refugee - he should be thrown out

As long as countries continue to allow fraudulent asylum claims to go through - the people who desperately need help are being over-looked

[Shirko]

Everytime you mention a Kabob Shop, I think about opening one up

Examples of a real genuine refugees:

He was 8 years old when he killed the soldier who was violently raping his YOUNGER sister - she died as a result of the attack - he was taken by the soldiers - beaten and tortured - he was lucky to escape with his life - he will never be able to return to his homeland - he is a refugee

He was married - a political activist - imprisoned and tortured - friends helped him and his family escape - his photo was in the media - he looks differently now - he will never be able to see his homeland or his elderly parents again - he is a refugee

He was on the back of a motorbike carrying anti government leaflets - they were shot at - his friend killed - he was caught and tortured - his parents and siblings were arrested - he escaped - his parents were released but one of his his sisters vanished inside the prison - he will always blame himself for what has happened to his sister even though he still cannot find out - he will never be able to return to his homeland - he is a refugee

He has a kebab shop - he lied and claimed asylum and has now become a British citizen - he returns home to Turkey every year for a holiday - he was never a genuine refugee - he should be thrown out

As long as countries continue to allow fraudulent asylum claims to go through - the people who desperately need help are being over-looked

[Anthea]

Everytime you mention a Kabob Shop, I think about opening one up

Not all kebab shop owners are cheats - some are genuine refugees - it really annoys me that with so many undeserving people lying to claim asylum - people such as the Syrians who have had to leave behind everything are not receiving the support they so badly need

How is it that YOU have got an avatar ? and nobody else has