Amman - King Abdullah II of Jordan on Wednesday issued instructions for authorities to take "urgent and immediate steps" to facilitate entry of Iraqis to the country and grant them residence permits, the royal court said.

He made the remarks as he presided over a meeting of top officials to discuss moves for easing measures which have been adopted by the Jordanian border authorities over the past months to limit the influx of Iraqis to the Hashemite Kingdom.

Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, who attended the meeting, said the government would take "swift measures to remove obstacles" that face Iraqis willing to come to Jordan.

Jordan currently hosts about 500,000 Iraqis who fled their country after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. (dpa)