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In Egypt, a Welcome for Syrian Refugees Turns Bitter

.. the first one is old ..


Narciso Contreras for The New York Times

In “Little Damascus,” on the outskirts of Cairo, vendors and other refugees from Syria fill the sidewalks.

.. more photos ..
“Egypt was a calm country,” said a man from Syria who was stabbed here. “Now, there isn’t a calm country in the region.”

By SARAH MOUSA and KAREEM FAHIM
Published: September 7, 2013

CAIRO — Dozens of men with clubs and knives stormed a charity for Syrian refugees a few days after the Egyptian military ousted ..http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/world/middleeast/egypt.html .. President Mohamed Morsi — making it clear they were no longer welcome in Egypt.

Multimedia

Multimedia Feature The Refugees.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/05/world/middleeast/Syrian-Refugees-in-Lebanon.html?ref=middleeast

Related

Kerry and French Foreign Minister Appeal Together for Strike Against Syria (September 8, 2013)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/08/world/europe/european-union-wants-un-report-before-any-military-action-in-syria.html?ref=middleeast

Obama’s Battle for Syria Votes, Taut and Uphill (September 8, 2013)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/08/us/politics/obamas-battle-for-syria-votes-taut-and-uphill.html?ref=middleeast

.“You Syrians — you’re setting the country on fire,” the attackers yelled in July as they beat Raqan Abulkheir, who is originally from Homs in central Syria. He runs the refugee center out of an apartment in a Cairo suburb where thousands of Syrians have settled. His 25-year-old son was bludgeoned over the head and left in a coma.

During the two and a half years of civil war in Syria, more than two million people have fled the country, most of them taking up residence as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. But as many as 300,000 have eventually made their way to Egypt, where they were welcomed, including by Mr. Morsi and his Islamist allies, who were vocal backers of the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.

“The people here supported us,” said Mohamed Taher, a filmmaker from northern Syria. “Egyptians did what they could to help Syrians. They went out of their way to do more.”

But as public anger grew against Mr. Morsi leading up to his ouster, the Syrians were cast as his allies. And, along with other foreigners, they were made scapegoats as the military took power and warned of external plots to destabilize Egypt, unleashing a suffocating xenophobia in the news media and on the streets.

One former member of Parliament called for Syrians and other foreigners to be executed. A television host told the “real men” among the Syrians to “go back to your country and solve your problems there.”

The rising nationalism was sudden, and startling. Mohamed Abazid, 28, a refugee from Dara’a in southern Syria, grew fearful as he saw fliers being passed around. “My Egyptian brother, my Egyptian sister,” the fliers said. “Fight the Syrian occupation and defend your jobs.”

In recent weeks, some of the new government’s prominent supporters have publicly praised Mr. Assad’s military, in a jarring turn for the many refugees who felt safe in Egypt as dissidents.

Since the beating, Mr. Abulkheir has returned to work in this Cairo suburb, and his son, who had 40 stitches in his head, has recovered, he said. Other refugees said they had faced no problems, but stories like Mr. Abulkheir’s have made them nervous. Many Syrians have chosen to spend less time in public or to leave Egypt altogether for Lebanon, Turkey or Jordan, exacerbating the regional refugee crisis. Others take their chances with smugglers and flee by boat to Italy, refugee advocates say. And hundreds more Syrians have been arrested and deported.

Before Mr. Morsi’s ouster, it was difficult to find seats on flights to Cairo from the refugee hubs in Istanbul; Beirut, Lebanon; and Amman, Jordan. After the military-backed government took power, Syrians were required, for the first time in decades, to obtain visas. Over the last two months, “based on the information available, we’ve had almost no Syrians coming in,” said Edward Leposky, a spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency. The refugees have memorized outbound flight schedules.

While thousands of refugees already settled in Egypt have been registering with the United Nations in a desperate attempt to legalize their status, an increasing number have been closing their files with the agency, including about 820 refugees in August, an indication they were intending to leave, he said.

Since most Syrian refugees are not registered, their advocates say, the numbers of people leaving are certainly much higher. “There is increasing anxiety about the insecurity here, and the poor treatment they are receiving,” Mr. Leposky said, mentioning insults and threats, incitement in the news media and calls to boycott Syrian businesses.

The anxiety hums on the outskirts of Cairo, in the suburbs spotted with luxury neighborhoods and lower- and middle-class housing projects where many Syrians found cheap apartments.

In one of the Syrian apartment buildings, Mamoun, a man from Syria’s capital, Damascus, recovered from stab wounds he received when a man attacked him on a bus after Mamoun asked people to stop smoking.

He was not sure why he was attacked: Syrians say that these days, their accent is enough to invite hostility. The man who stabbed him accused him of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, Mr. Morsi’s Islamist party.

When he stumbled onto the pavement, bleeding, bystanders seemed afraid to approach him, and finally directed him to a pharmacy. Mamoun, who had lived with his family in Brooklyn for a time before moving back to Syria and then to Egypt, asked to be identified by only his first name for the family’s safety.

His story has circulated among his family and friends: At least 15 families he knows have fled to Italy, he said. Other relatives in Syria who were considering joining him in Egypt heard his story and decided to stay put.

“Egypt was a calm country,” Mamoun said. “Now, there isn’t a calm country in the region.”

In the nearby 6th of October City, parts of which have come to be known as Little Damascus, the refugees say the official hostility has amplified the frustrations of Egyptians with their own faltering economy, and Egypt’s chronic insecurity since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

“My Egyptian neighbors say: ‘You’re taking our jobs. We’re done with you,’ ” said a woman from the Ghouta region near Damascus, where hundreds of Syrians died last month in a suspected chemical weapons attack.

The woman, who lives alone, has changed the way she dresses to make herself less identifiable as a Syrian, and now peppers her speech with Egyptian colloquialisms.

“The people who came here were already damaged,” she said.

Refugees say their troubles have roots in a rally Mr. Morsi held in June in solidarity with the Syrian opposition, shocking many Egyptians, and cementing the link between the refugees and Mr. Morsi’s fate.

At the rally, one speaker approvingly compared the situation in Syria to the jihad in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, while another insulted Shiite Muslims. Mr. Morsi said that he was severing diplomatic ties with Syria and, for the first time, spoke about his support for a no-fly zone.

Many Syrians saw the event as an attempt by the embattled president to rally support among Islamists and feared they would be tainted by his troubles. After the military took over and some Syrians were arrested protesting with Mr. Morsi’s supporters, it made matters much worse for the refugees.

“The Brotherhood played with the Syrian cause,” said Mr. Taher, the filmmaker. “We didn’t leave Syria to get involved in another war.”

On a recent evening, employees at the VIP Cafe in 6th of October City swept away shards from the storefront’s shattered glass. What started as a scuffle expanded when dozens of local thugs smashed the cafe’s front and some of the tables and chairs. The owner, Osama al-Loge, said that the police came hours later and did not bother to listen to his complaint.

“We were protected under the old regime,” said Mr. Loge, who said he found it simple to open his cafe when Mr. Morsi was president and the government seemed intent on easing life for the refugees. Now, he said, he goes to work and then home again, hoping he will not be noticed.

“At least in Damascus we know who our enemy is,” he said. “Here, we’re never sure. The government? Thugs? Police? The people?”

Asmaa Al Zohairy contributed reporting.

A version of this article appears in print on September 8, 2013, on page A10 of the New
York edition with the headline: In Egypt, a Welcome for Syrian Refugees Turns Bitter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/08/world/middleeast/in-egypt-a-welcome-for-refugees-turns-bitter.html?_r=0&pagewanted=all

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So that allegedly was then, today? .. according to UNHCR there were 133,727 Syrian refugees in Cairo as of Feb. 12, 2014 ..
http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=8

I'll try to find more .. hmm, USA committed to giving 2000 Syrian refugees permanent residency .. Australia is missing from the list, ouch, yet no big surprise .. not a good look .. gee, this site is new and could be an interesting site for refugee information ..

Political Asylum & Refugees. Legal news and articles for February 11 - 14, 2014 .. http://news.legalhelpmate.com/immigration-law/political-asylum-refugees/2014/february ..

ok .. New Zealand is taking up to 100 .. http://twocircles.net/2014feb04/new_zealand_offers_home_syrian_refugees.html .. note: my Bing (haven't got to Google on Explorer, yet) search was "feb 2014 australia syrian refugees" and those are the top two .. scratchin' me 'ead .. :) .. 3rd down is Lebanon ..

Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Daily Statistics (as of 06 February 2014)
http://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/syrian-refugees-lebanon-daily-statistics-06-february-2014

4th down NZ again, and a mention of Australia's 'turn back the boats' program ..

NZ and refugees – Syria and Australia
http://blog.greens.org.nz/2014/02/05/nz-and-refugees-syria-and-australia/

Australia where are you? .. ok, 9th down, mumble, mumble why wasn't it the first?

Why should Australia help Syrian refugees?

Graeme McGregor, 22 January 2014, 02:26PM


Refugees crossing over the Syrian border into Jordan © Sweaters for Syria

As the world's leaders gather in Switzerland for the Geneva II peace conference .. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24628442 .. on the Syria crisis, the international community must also take steps to help the country's 2.5 million refugees.

Why are people fleeing Syria?

The devastating impact of the Syrian conflict on the country's citizens is clear. The conflict has so far claimed the lives of over 100,000 people and driven 9.35 million people from their homes.

The conflict began in March 2011, when peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad's government were met with violence. Security forces detained, tortured and killed activists and their families, including children, and opened fire on protesters. Fighting and violence between government forces and armed rebel groups has continued to escalate ever since.

Innocent civilians are caught in the middle, enduring the shelling and bombing of whole towns and an alleged chemical weapons attack .. http://www.amnesty.org.au/news/comments/32548/ .. by government forces on the outskirts of Damascus last year. Those in opposition-held areas live in terrible conditions, often at the hands of rebel groups .. http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/10/10/syria-executions-hostage-taking-rebels , and are now facing starvation and a lack of medical supplies due to government blockades preventing aid from reaching them.

And the latest reports .. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25836550 .. of the systematic torture and execution of some 11,000 detainees by the Syrian Government, since the start of the Syrian uprising, provide further proof, if needed, that those fleeing the country are in desperate need.

What are we doing about it?

The UN has described the effects of the Syrian conflict and the sheer number of refugees as 'the worst humanitarian crisis of our time' ..http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23332527 , but what are we, as a country, doing about it?

Very little, it turns out.

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Find out more about the Syrian refugee crisis

In pictures: Syria accused of torture - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-25827122

Syria peace conference must prioritise human rights - http://www.amnesty.org.au/news/comments/33745/

Syria peace conference Geneva II begins in Switzerland - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25836827
US and UN express horror at Syria torture report - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25836550

Australia must act now for Syrian refugee crisis - http://www.amnesty.org.au/news/comments/33738/

Syria peace conference must end starvation - http://www.amnesty.org.au/news/comments/33721/
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In fact, Syria's neighbours are bearing the brunt of the Syrian refugee situation, taking on 97% of the those who have fled. Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq are being overwhelmed by refugees but for the most part have welcomed them with open arms, saving lives and providing protection along the way.

Lebanon is currently hosting over a million Syrian refugees (more than a quarter of Lebanon's population) and Jordan holds more than 500,000.

However, the unprecedented number of Syrians fleeing to these countries, which are far from wealthy to begin with, adds a huge strain to basic infrastructure, schools and hospitals. Simply put, they can no longer cope. And that's where we, as a country, should step in. The international community – and that includes Australia – needs to share in this burden and increase the number of resettlement places worldwide.

Pitiful response

To that end, in September 2013 UNHCR put a call out asking the international community to help out Syria's neighbours. The request was met with a shamefully tepid response from wealthy countries like Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Italy and Spain.


Life goes on: we can help give hope to those forced to leave their homes © Sweaters for Syria

Just ten EU member states have offered to take in Syrian refugees and even then, the total number stands at just 12,000. Yes, that's 12,000 out of 2.5 million refugees and 6 million internally displaced people.

Australia has agreed to take just 500, a tiny 0.02%, of Syria's most vulnerable refugees. France has also pledged 500 places and Spain just 30.

Disappointingly, the UK and Italy have chosen not to resettle any Syrian refugees, opting to assist only through regional financial support.

Whilst financial assistance certainly has its place, particularly in providing food and medical aid to Syrians now facing starvation, and in relieving the economic burden on the country's neighbours, it is only part of the solution. As well as offering financial aid for the countries most impacted by Syria's refugee crisis, other states must also host the refugees.

Hindsight is always 20:20

It is clear that Australia's response, along with the broader international community, is massively insufficient considering its scale and urgency.

But what should we do? Australia should consider taking a leaf out of Germany's book – a country which has offered 10,000 places (a whopping 80% of the total pledges). This would mean Australia would have to increase the number of resettlement places for Syrian refugees to a more acceptable 7,500 – in addition to, not part of, our existing humanitarian
quota of 13,500.

As a wealthy country and a leader on the international stage, we have a very real and pressing responsibility to open the door to those fleeing torture, violence and death. We have also have a moral obligation to give Syrian refugees some hope, stability and space to rebuild their lives.

Hindsight is always 20:20. Who wants to look back years down the line and wish they’d done more?

Let's not put ourselves in that position. Let's show our humanity now and open that door a little wider.

Sign our petition calling on the government to resettle at least 7,500 Syrian refugees in Australia.
http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/33735/

http://www.amnesty.org.au/refugees/comments/33744/

PS: .. my search link ..
http://www.bing.com/search?q=feb+2014+australia+syrian+refugees&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IE8SRC

i don't know if it will be the same for us .. oops, just remembered i meant to get back to Cairo and
Syrian refugees today .. no, never got there .. hope it is better than painted in the first one back then ..