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                  UNHCR: Keep Borders Open to Fleeing Syrians

   by Lisa Schlein

   The United Nations refugee agency is appealing to nations to keep
   borders open to refugees fleeing worsening violence in Syria.

   With Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq already hosting more than 1.5
   million Syrian refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for
   Refugees (UNHCR) warns the number is expected to grow as the conflict
   intensifies.

   Responding to reports that Syrians attempting to flee may be backed up
   at the international border crossings, agency officials say they are
   disturbed by accounts showing that many refugees are being prevented
   from leaving the war-torn nation.

   The constant flow of refugees from Syria into Jordan's Zaatari camp has
   slowed to a near halt in recent days, and UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa
   Fleming says she does not know whether restrictions are being imposed
   on those wishing to leave Syria.

   Explaining that Jordan is keeping borders open to refugees, she
   speculates that other factors are hindering people from crossing over.

   "One, of course, is [that] it is just too dangerous to take to the road
   because fighting is going on," she said. "Second, people escape using
   smugglers and it often is very difficult either for people to access
   the funds that are available for these smugglers, or the smugglers are
   connected to different groups and they want to determine, perhaps, who
   can flee and who cannot."

   Fleming says both government officials and rebels who control
   checkpoints in towns and cities also may be restricting people from
   leaving.

   While Lebanon is also keeping its borders open, ongoing fighting in the
   besieged, neighboring Syrian town of Qusair is making it too dangerous
   for people to flee.

   "Refugees are telling us that the city is virtually cordoned off, that
   it is very difficult and dangerous to flee," said Fleming. "Some people
   tell us that it is emptied of civilians, but other sources say that
   most of the civilian population has now moved to one section of the
   town in the central and northern neighborhoods and are pretty much
   trapped."

   Fleming says the UNHCR expects a significant influx of Syrian refugees
   into neighboring countries as soon as the situation changes and
   security allows people to cross the borders.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/unhcr-officials-ask-nations-to-keep-b
   orders-open-to-syrian-refugees/1667975.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/unhcr-officials-ask-nations-to-keep-borders-open-to-syrian-refugees/1667975.html