Brussels, 03/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Netherlands recently published specific proposals for a coherent EU plan for displaced Iraqis, large numbers of whom live in neighbouring countries like Syria and Jordan. A high level conference might be held on this issue in The Hague in November 2008. The Dutch suggest creating the conditions for sustainable return for Iraqis who have taken refuge in far-flung regions of Iraq and in the EU. It also recommends the resettlement in the EU of vulnerable groups from neighbouring countries (bordering on Iraq). A European Commission fact-finding mission will travel to Jordan and Syria to examine whether and how the EU could resettle the most vulnerable groups. On 25 September 2008, EU immigration ministers decided to postpone this issue until the European Commission has reported back on its fact-finding mission (see EUROPE 9748). French immigration minister Brice Hortefeux said the EU should be able to resettle between 5,000 and 10,000 refugees. The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) arranged the resettlement in various countries around the world of 14,600 Iraqi refugees from Syria, Jordan and other countries in the Middle East. More than 60% were resettled in the United States and barely 10% in the EU, mainly in Sweden and the Netherlands. The Dutch plan also suggests providing protection for needy Iraqi refugees already in Europe by setting up a temporary office to facilitate the collection and analysis of information about practices in the various EU Member States, which could also be used to help Member States coordinate activities to support the return of Iraqi refugees. The Netherlands suggests using the European Refugee Fund and the European Return Fund to finance the plan, or parts of it. (B.C. transl fl)