Iraqi city prevents entry to Syrian families over ‘security concerns’

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Local police in the Fallujah, the largest city in Anbar province, have asked residents to report the presence of any Syrians and their families to Iraqi authorities.

“We call upon citizens to report the presence of Syrian families in the city,” Colonel Jamal Saleh, the police chief in Fallujah, was quoted as saying by al-Sumaria television.

He mentioned that city police had “deported a number” of Syrian families, who came from Baghdad and entered Fallujah through the al-Suqur checkpoint, east of Anbar.

Saleh pointed out that security forces do not allow Syrian families in Fallujah for “reasons related to the security situation,” without elaborating any further.

Iraq is host to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled the civil war which has been ravaging the country for nearly eight years. Many Syrians struggle to find stable work or long-term shelters, forcing them into a transient lifestyle.

According to recent local reports, Syrian families have been leaving Baghdad in search of more affordable cities, such as Fallujah. Tensions remain high in some of those areas, however, as Iraqi communities are still reeling from the extensive physical and psychological damage the three-year-long war against the Islamic State (IS) caused.

Cross-state insecurity continues to be a concern for Iraq as IS is still present in Syria, notably along the border.