Syrian refugees 'flood Iraq' as violence escalates

22 Aug 2012, 2:39 pm   -   Source: Rhiannon Elston, SBS
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Just six years after more than a million Iraqi refugees fled to Syria to escape bloodshed in their own country, thousands are now crossing the border in the opposite direction. (Getty Images)

Just six years after more than a million Iraqi refugees fled to Syria to escape bloodshed in their own country, thousands are now crossing the border in the opposite direction. (Getty Images)

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are now risking their lives to flee the worsening humanitarian situation and seek refuge in neighbouring countries, rights groups and the UN say. 

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Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are now risking their lives to flee the worsening humanitarian situation and seek refuge in neighbouring countries, rights groups and the UN say. 

Refugee advocates have told SBS News at least 150,000 refugees have passed through the borders of Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon in the past few months.

Iraq, too, has become a refuge. Just six years after more than a million Iraqi refugees fled to Syria to escape bloodshed in their own country, thousands are now crossing the border in the opposite direction.

The number has jumped sharply in the past few weeks, says Sherif Elsayed-Ali, head of refugee and migrants’ rights at Amnesty International. “At the beginning of the year, there were 80,000 Iraqis still in Syria. Only in the past few weeks, we have had 20,000 return," he says.

“That is predominantly because of the situation in Syria and the violence there. It is now a lot safer [to return to Iraq] than to remain.”

Claire Bourgeois, UN Refugee Agency spokesperson based in Iraq, says many of those crossing the three official borders between Iraq and Syria are Iraqis returning home. Some remain in a state of personal deadlock; unhappy with the idea of returning to Iraq, but too afraid of the growing violence to remain in Syria.

“They still consider to go back to Syria as soon as the situation improves. An essential reason is that the living cost is much less expensive in Syria, at least before the war,” Ms Bourgeois says.

While it might be safer to be in Iraq than Syria, the journey out of the country can be life-threatening. “The safety is difficult to assess. Those leaving reported to be afraid," she adds. 

Refugees fleeing to Jordan have told of the extreme dangers they faced along the journey, says Mr Elsayed-Ali. Many have been smuggled across the border, fearing indiscriminate shooting from Syrian military troops. “Almost everyone we’ve talked to in Jordan, basically, no one has gone through the official borders,” Mr Elsayed-Ali says.

“They are smuggled, helped by the Free Syrian Army, and by the other side they are received by Jordanian [authorities].”

Some refugees have told of taking drastic measures to assure their safety during the illegal border crossing, including two cases of families giving children as young as two bottles of cold medicine so they will sleep through the journey. “They were saying, if one child cries, basically that whole group of people trying to cross the border could be killed,” says Mr Elsayed-Ali.

Within Syria, a further three million people are in need of support, including 1.2 million Syrians who have fled their homes but remained in the country. It is expected many thousands more will cross the borders before the conflict ends.

The UN Refugee Agency is preparing for that outcome, scaling up its humanitarian assistance in Turkey, building more water wells in Jordan and expanding one refugee camp and assessing the need for another along the Iraqi border.

Pressure is mounting for President Bashar al-Assad to step down amid waves of bomb attacks in the major cities of Damascus and Aleppo.

Tensions began in Syria after government forces responded with a fierce crackdown on local uprisings after the Tunisian revolution in March 2011.

The United Nations declared Syria to be in state of civil war in June.

Syria Unrest , Rhiannon Elston SBS

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