2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Refugees in Syria Fear Deportation

By Sonja Pace
Damascus
06 February 2007

Some hundreds Iraqi refugees in Syria stage a protest against new visa regulations before offices of UNHCR, 5 Feb 2007

The United Nations estimates nearly one million Iraqis have fled violence in their homeland to neighboring Syria, and 30,000  to 40,000 new arrivals come every month. Compared to other countries in the region, Syria has had a generous open-door policy for refugees, but many Iraqis now fear restrictions¹ will be enforced that could mean they will be deported². VOA's Sonja Pace reports from Damascus.

Several-hundred Iraqis crowd around the entrance to the U.N. refugee agency in Damascus - angry, fearful and often desperate. Most are Sunni Muslims, some have been here for months or longer, others are new arrivals. The crowd includes young and old, men, women and a few small children.

This woman does not give her name, but is determined³ to air her grievance⁴. She has come from Baghdad and says she was driven from her home by Shiite militias⁶.

She says the militia⁵ of radical⁷ Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr drove her family out and she says there is no help from the Iraqi government, which she accuses of being a mere⁸ puppet of Iran.

Others nod their head in agreement. They say they thought they were safe here in Syria, now they are not sure.

Laurens Jolles, the representative in Syria of the U.N. refugee agency, says he understands the refugees' anger and concern.

"Things are becoming much more difficult and it's not sort of - everyone who comes can stay without much problem," he said. "There are really tough regulations that seem to be in force."

Jolles says it seems the Syrians are beginning to enforce existing regulations to stem the tide of refugees coming in. Early on, he says, everyone was welcome. Iraqis could come in, get a visa for three months, then easily renew for another three months by crossing the border back into Iraq and coming back to Syria the same day.

Now, it appears new arrivals are being granted only a 15-day visa and must go to immigration. Many are then being told they must return to Iraq for one month before applying again. Those who have been here longer are told when their visa expires, they too must go back for a month and then re-apply.

That says Jolles is causing a great deal of anxiety.

"They [the refugees] are here, they think they are safe, their children might be in school, some people are sick, you have got victims of torture, you've got all sorts of very desperate cases, who then have to go back to Iraq for a month and be confronted again with the same insecurity and problems and then try to come back again and hope they will be allowed to stay on," he added.

Jolles says Syria gets high marks for its open-door policy, but he says the flow of refugees has put a severe strain on the government's ability to provide for them and its own people, especially in areas of health and education.

But, that explanation is of little comfort to the refugees gathered outside. Some like Zeinab al Melah blame the Americans for what has happened to them.

"Where shall I go? I am asking Mr. Bush, where shall I go, what shall I do?" she said.

Melah came here with her husband and three children seven months ago. She says they fled Baghdad because Shiite militias threatened to kill them. Her husband had a stroke, she says and is partially⁹ paralyzed, her children have yet to go to school here. None of this would have happened, she says if the Americans had not invaded.

"Mr. Bush will accept us in USA? Will he take us in his country for the safety of our children and our family? Where shall I go?" she asked.

Much of the anger here is mixed with fear and sadness - fear that if they are forced to go back to Iraq they will be killed and sadness because they see little hope of returning home in safety anytime in the foreseeable future.

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

5 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

8 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

9 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。