CAIRO, April 5 (Reuters) - Egypt has tightened the procedures for Iraqis entering the country, apparently to stem a flow of people seeking refuge from the violence in Iraq. Instead of obtaining visas at points of entry such as Cairo airport, Iraqis will have to apply in advance through Egyptian consulates abroad, an official source said on Thursday. Senior Foreign Ministry official Mahmoud Aouf told parliament on Wednesday his ministry was making the change for security reasons, the state news agency MENA said. "This decision is due to the nature of the security circumstances accompanying the entry of Iraqis into Egypt at this stage," he said. "The sensitivities of Egyptian national security requirements must be respected." After Jordan and Syria, Egypt is one of the places most popular among Iraqis seeking safety. The Iraqi embassy estimates about 120,000 Iraqis have moved to Egypt since the 2003 war to oust Saddam Hussein, an official said. But only about 5,000 or 6,000 have registered as refugees with the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, a U.N. official said. Iraqis with enough money can stay in Egypt indefinitely and may not feel the need to register, she added. Since the United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003, about 700,000 Iraqis have fled to Jordan and more than 400,000 to Syria. Others have gone to Lebanon, Turkey and Iran.
