Syrian refugees in Zaatari riots face deportation

Jordan's Zaatari camp Amman – Osama Al Rantissi The Jordanian government has threatened to deport Syrian refugees who went on riot in Jordan's Zaatari camp on Tuesday. More than 20 security officers were injured in Tuesday's riots, which followed a march by around 200 Syrian refugees to protest against the camp's "poor conditions".
Camp authorities demanded to reconsider the regulatory procedures within the camp and to limit the distribution of aid with the Hashemite Charity Organisation.
The brief included ideas that would facilitate the provision of humanitarian support for refugees and provide them with protection as well as security measures and plans to deal with any emergency.
Prime Minister Fayez al-Tarawneh announced that those among the residents who were involved were arrested and "would be sent back to where they came from".
"The government will not tolerate such acts and will deport any person who violates the law," he said.
"We only host refugees out of a humane perspective and will not allow anyone to break the law," the premier said in statements to the press after a meeting with security apparatuses and representatives of Syrian refugees in Mafraq, 80km northeast of Amman.
"As long as the law is applied on Jordanians, it should be also applied to non-Jordanians," said the PM.
Tarawneh added that the large number of Syrian refugees who flee to Jordan require huge efforts to organise the process, noting that the Zaatari camp only accommodates a fraction of the Syrians who are residing in the country.
Jordan is currently finalising preparations for another refugee camp in the Ribaa Sirhan region near the Jordanian-Syrian border, a planned facility with a 20,000-person capacity.
Tarawneh added that each refugee camp will have a control centre and that the government will look for new locations for camps, noting that there will also be a "tight security grip" inside these facilities to ensure that no one enters and leaves without security approval.
"The government, in cooperation with concerned organisations, will do all it can to improve the services provided to Syrians inside the camps," he said, adding that the cabinet will discuss issues related to providing the refugees with education.
The premier reiterated Jordan's commitment to provide assistance to the Syrians, despite the pressure it places on the Kingdom's resources, especially water.
"Providing assistance to Syrians will not have any impact on the quality of services provided to Jordanians," the prime minister highlighted.
Over 22,000 Syrian refugees are believed to be in Jordan.
Meanwhile, Government Spokesperson Samih Maaytah said 200 Syrian refugees were repatriated on Wednesday upon their request, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Maaytah said the decision was taken on the backdrop of the riots that took place on Tuesday night in the Zaatari camp, which is home to more than 22,000 refugees.