Month: October 2007

Why is Church World Service lumped in with this crowd?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The People’s Weekly World reported yesterday that Church World Service representatives were banned from the Philippines last summer.  The government claimed the blacklisted people had links to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Philippines: Blacklist bars rights advocates

Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently reported that a government blacklist barred 504 people from 50 countries from entering the Philippines during July and August, before and after a ministerial meeting in Manila of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

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The government, alleging the blacklisted persons have links to the Taliban or Al Qaeda, banned Filipino expatriates and U.S. members of Church World Service, the National Lawyers Guild and the Center for Constitutional Rights.

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A foreign ministry official cited by Philippines Labor Net admitted previous blacklisting had excluded Brian Campbell, a U.S. lawyer for the International Labor Rights Fund, and other human rights activists, among them former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

Church World Service (CWS) is one of ten major volags resettling refugees in the United States and was the major funder of the refugee resettlement that caused such a ruckus in Hagerstown, MD recently.  CWS received approximately $24 million from the taxpayers last year.    It is highly far-fetched to think they are even remotely connected to international terrorism.  However, more interesting to me is that they were among a group of such unabashed Socialists and Communists.  Or, is this just a case of guilt by association?    The People’s Weekly World that reported this story says of itself:

We enjoy a special relationship with the Communist Party USA, founded in 1919, and publish its news and views.

I guess I’ll never be able to see “Crop Walk” publicity again without thinking about these possible connections.

Human smuggling, it’s all about intent says Mennonite leader

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

On October 1 we reported that an American refugee worker had been arrested in Canada for smuggling undocumented Haitians across the border of the US into Canada.    Now, church leaders in Canada are crying foul maintaining that Canada’s new law on refugees and immigrants does not apply to faith-based smugglers acting with humanitarian intent.   So it seems there is good trafficking in humans and bad trafficking and its all about motive.  Whahhh?

Section 117 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act passed in June 2002 states that “No person shall knowingly organize, induce, aid or abet the coming into Canada of one or more persons who are not in possession of a visa, passport or other document required by this Act.”

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“We are deeply concerned that this provision is now being applied to a faith-based refugee worker,” said Wiebe [Mennonite Central Committee Canada]. “While we deplore the smuggling of human beings in all forms, this is not smuggling,” he said, explaining numerous organizations based in the US and Canada have been bringing refugees to the border in cooperation with the border services agency.

This is what is wrong with the whole immigration issue.  There are those who believe that if one’s motives are pure and faith-based, the law should not apply to them.

Are refugees being taken care of?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

One reason we write this blog is that we want to see Refugee Resettlement reformed.   Although I am no fan of more government and I certainly am not promoting increasing the numbers of refugees,  but I am beginning to think the government might just do a better job of taking care of refugees than these volags are.   At least the government agencies would be accountable to us—the taxpayers—through our elected officials.   The non-profit groups could still do their charitable part without being paid and everyone might be better off—us and the refugees.

Earlier today Judy posted an article from Burlington, VT.  I was particularly interested in a comment by a Christopher Coen, Director of Friends of Refugees.  I don’t know that group but I would like to.    Mr. Coen alleges a shocking number of “problems” with one of the ten major volags and its affiliates throughout the US resulting in neglect of the refugees in their care.   I thought some of the things we saw here in Washington County with the Virginia Council of Churches were an anomaly, but maybe this is more widespread than I thought.  

Please go to  Mr. Coen’s comment here  (see Story Chat on the right side of the page) and read the long list of charges—all too familiar to us in Hagerstown.  Refugees were placed in high crime neighborhoods, they lived for a long time with no bedding, transportation was lacking, translators were not available in a medical emergency, and there had not been enough effort made to find volunteers and keep them.

Mr. Coen’s  sharp criticisms sent me to the website of the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) just to see what sort of outfit they are.   I had a look at their 2006 Form 990 and I thought that was kind of interesting.   Their budget is almost $20 million with $16,905,312 from government grants (many of those would likely be from the US Office of Refugee Resettlement) and another $675,868 from government contracts.  Public support (that’s just regular private donations) accounts for $1,496,688.   Basically that means that close to 90% of their income comes from the taxpayer. 

Looks to me like they spent nearly all their private donations on lobbying, but I’m not an accountant. Note that they lobbied on the Kennedy bill to bring tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees to the US real soon.   Also, since I’ve admitted I’m not an accountant maybe someone else could find their office rent in this 990.  Or, is it true that the State Department is picking up that tab?

USCRI is located on Massachusetts Ave. in Washington D.C. and its President, Lavinia Limon (former Director of the US Office of Refugee Resettlement) makes a cool $195,478 (salary and benefits).  Its VP makes $163,109.  I’m wondering if Lavinia is any relation to Peter Limon who is quoted in the Burlington article?   Keepin’ it in the family?   Its all kind of cozy, isn’t it?  The only ones not too comfy are the refugees Mr. Coen cites. 

So, back to my original premise.  Since you’re paying their salaries either way.  Which would you rather take your chances with—a government employee or these non-profit types in DC?  

The Wacky United Nations

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

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.

Your state—a new feature at RRW

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

We can tell that many of you are searching for specific information about Refugee Resettlement in your state and daily we see news from all around the country on the subject—too much for us to post on.   So today we’re launching a new page called “Your State.”   You will find a link for it in the bar across the top of the blog directly under the banner.  This will be a permanant page. 

As we get information on states we will post it there in alphabetical order.   This will take us awhile but eventually we should fill in all the information you would need to start learning about this important immigration program of the federal government and its impact on your community. 

Today we’ll start with Colorado.