Syria on Tuesday imposed new guidelines forbidding citizens between the ages of 18 and 42 from crossing into Jordan to prevent suspected militants from fleeing, dpa quoted refugees and Jordanian officials as saying. Under the new rules, those who meet the age requirements must receive prior approval from the interior ministry in order to cross into Jordan. "Unless you are old and can afford a bribe, they just wont let you in," said Khaled, a 54-year-old Damascus resident whose sons were prevented from accompanying him on his entry into Jordan on Tuesday. The new guidelines, which were confirmed by Jordanian border officials, come less than a month after Syrian authorities imposed restrictions forbidding women and families from entering Jordan via official border crossings. Syrian refugees in Lebanon say the authorities back home have imposed the same restrictions along the border with Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. The restrictions coincided with a rise in the number of Syrians crossing into Jordan and other neighbours. Some 20 families are smuggled into Jordan every day, according to the Islamic Society Centre, the largest Jordanian NGO providing services to Syrians. In response to the border clampdown, Syrian activists say they have developed an advanced smuggling network - which facilitated the entry of 50 families on Monday alone - with cooperation between the Free Syrian Army and Jordanian authorities. Jordanian security sources refuse to confirm or deny contacts between Amman and Syrian militant forces. Jordan follows an unannounced policy of providing refuge to all Syrians entering the country - legally and illegally. More than 100,000 Syrians have come to Jordan since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad erupted a year ago.
