Hamas slams Jordan for plan on transferring Palestinian refugees to Canada

Atef Adwan, Minister of Refugees of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)-led government, on Sunday accused Jordan of planning to transfer hundreds of Palestinians, who fled violence in Iraq, to Canada.

In a press release, Adwan noted that the Jordanian government has recently reached a deal with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to transfer 280 Palestinian refugees to Canada.

The Palestinians are stuck on the Jordanian-Iraqi border after fleeing from Iraq because of the growing hatred and violence against them by Iraqi sectarian groups.

Adwan wondered how Jordan was able to contain 600,000 Iraqis but refuse to allow 280 Palestinians from staying on its territories.

He appealed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to intervene and ask Jordan not to displace the Palestinian refugees for fears that this step could be the beginning of ending the Palestinian refugees issue by transferring them to some countries and canceling their right of return to Palestine.

The Jordanian government, which boycotts the Hamas-led government, didn't pay attention to appeals sent by the Palestinian cabinet not to go ahead with the Jordan-UN deal on Palestinian refugees, said Adwan.

Relations between Jordan and the Hamas-led Palestinian government have worsened since April when the Jordanian authorities announced they have seized a weapon shipment for Hamas, saying the weapons were to be used in striking at Jordanian interests.

Source: Xinhua