Canada to resettle 46 Palestinian refugees

"Representatives of the Canadian government interviewed 150 Palestinian refugees at the fenced camp a few months ago but accepted one third of them," said Breen, who hoped a third country would be found to accept the remaining group before a deadline set by Jordan to close the camp expires. Jordan initially said it would close the camp by end of September this year, but agreed to postpone the closure until year end.

Breen said he sent Jordan a letter to delay the closure until the issue was resolved. Jordan has yet to reply.

The Palestinian refugees are part of a group of 230 individuals, including Iranian Kurds and Iraqi asylum seekers, who fled Iraq following the collapse of former President Saddam Hussein's regime.

The al-Rweished camp originally sheltered nearly 1,200 refugees. The majority were resettled in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and Sweden.

Camp residents have to endure extreme weather conditions, including blinding sandstorms and blistering heat. They said they were not permitted to leave the camp without police escort.

"These refugees have been living in the camp for three years, entirely dependent on the United Nations for their food, health care and education. They have no future [at the camp]," added Breen.

Palestinian refugees said they could not return to Iraq for fear of retaliation from armed Iraqi groups.

Taysir Mahmoud, 52, one of the Palestinian refugees who were not accepted by Canada, said he wanted to be accepted by a country where he can live in dignity.

"We lived happily in Iraq but now it's impossible to return. We are going crazy while waiting in the middle of the desert. Years are passing and our kids are deprived of education and exposure to the real world," he told IRIN in a telephone interview from the camp.

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