Reuters is reporting today that Palestinian Iraqi refugees in Syria have turned down a marvelous offer of asylum in none other than Sudan. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees just can’t seem to understand why they aren’t jumping at the chance.
Sudan has offered resettlement to the refugees in al-Tanf camp. There are ongoing discussions and this is a possibility but nothing has been finalised yet,” said Dalia al-Achi, spokesperson for the UNHCR in Syria.
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The UNHCR rejected the suggestion that Sudan – a country where four years of civil war in Darfur has displaced 2.5 million people – might be an unsuitable resettlement country.
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“If Sudan can be a resettlement country and a safe place for these refugees, why not consider the option?” said Al-Achi.
I have just a couple of teensy-weensy questions for the United Nations. If Sudan is safe enough for asylum seekers to find refuge there, why all the squabbling over the recent plan to halt Sudanese resettlement in Australia? And, why has the United States taken 26,407 Sudanese refugees in recent years?
Call me crazy but I am coming to the conclusion that the folks in the immigration industry spend their days shuffling blocks of people around the world.