The desperation of the Iraqi refugees in Lebanon

Where they are now being jailed with criminals:

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Iraqi refugees face a wide array of problems in the Middle East, from lack of basic assistance to political obstacles, and are being increasingly detained in Lebanon, a U.S. group advocating refugee protection said in a report Monday.

The report by the Washington-based Refugees International was issued after its team visited Lebanon, Syria and Egypt for a month to gauge what homeless Iraqis deal with.The report highlighted the plight of Iraqis in Lebanon, where an estimated 50,000 Iraqi refugees live. Lebanon's history of sectarian violence and its stated refusal to act as an asylum country has led authorities to deny Iraqis any rights or access to services, the report said.

It said authorities began «systematically arresting and detaining those who are in Lebanon illegally» since May, when government troops battled al-Qaida inspired militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in the country's north.
«The government has taken to detaining Iraqis, placing them in jail with common criminals,» the report said.

Lebanese government did not immediately comment the report but security officials, speaking on conditions of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media, said about half of the estimated 1,000 jailed illegal migrants were Iraqi. Most of them likely face deportation because the country's main prison is packed 50 percent over its 2,500-inmate capacity, the officials said.

The Iraqis are picked up for overstaying their visas or for entering the country illegally, the report said.

Human rights activists say the Iraqis are generally jailed for a month, then offered the choice of returning to Iraq or staying on in prison _ until they give up and opt to go home.