Month: June 2008

AP: Here come the Iraqis

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Thanks to Always on Watch who caught this AP story by our old friend Matthew Lee.   I didn’t even have to read the whole article by Lee to know it was his writing.  He says the same things every month, except this time he can report that the rush is on—Iraqis are arriving in the US in droves.   But, the numbers are never high enough to satisfy Senator Ted Kennedy and his NGO friends.    Kennedy is proposing a special White House ambassador to deal exclusively with Iraqi displaced persons.

Here are three things Lee says every month:

The 12,000 target is still far lower than the number admitted by other countries and only a small slice of the some 2 million Iraqis who have fled to neighboring countries since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

He reaffirms we are a bad bad country because we don’t admit enough refugees, but never mentions that many of Iraq’s displaced people have been displaced for many years (before our arrival in Iraq) due to Saddam’s reign of terror.   Lee:

Sweden, for example, has granted asylum to about 40,000 since 2003.

Lee never tells you that Sweden has begun deporting Iraqi Muslims and is trying very hard to stop the flow.  Lee:

Advocacy groups and lawmakers have criticized the U.S. for its poor performance on admitting Iraqi refugees.

And, finally, Associated Press reporter Lee never never gets a comment from anyone who is concerned about security issues.  It’s all about reaching this arbitrary magic number of 12,000 Iraqis from Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, etc. admitted to the US in FY08—to live in your hometown.

If you are interested in seeing how AP controls the news on this topic, check out our archive on Matthew Lee’s reporting here.

More information on the “fake” Bhutanese refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Last week I reported that a family has claimed that someone using their father’s identity has entered the US as a supposed Bhutanese refugee.   The US Embassy and the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) have denied those charges here, saying that the screening is rigorous.

However, a blogger writing at a blog called “Media in Bhutan” says reporters and others who have reported on infiltration have been threatened.

Of late, even local journalists in Jhapa are displaced from their regular reporting duties citing that they reported the issues related to ‘infiltration’ of non-Bhutanese in the refugee resettlement program. Bhupendra Timsina, Damak-based correspondent for Nepal Samacharpatra daily in an exclusive interview with Saranarthi Sarokar at Nepal FM 91.8 on Saturday June 21, said that separate gangs comprising both refugees and non-Bhutanese threatened him over telephone for reporting on infiltration of non-Bhutanese in refugee resettlement.

Timsina, who had written a news story regarding the infiltration of non-Bhutanese in the refugee resettlement program on June 8 in Nepal Samacharpatra, is mentally disturbed in returning to his normal duties. According to Timsina, attempts are underway from non-Bhutanese to fly to the US in the name of Bhutanese refugees and that a section of refugees are also involved in helping non-Bhutanese for such attempts.

However, in a joint statement issued on June 18, the US Embassy in Kathmandu and UNHCR strongly refuted such news reports thereby clarifying that such reports were unfounded. Here, the main concern is how could the gang threatened Timsina if attempts to ‘infiltration’ are not underway? While respecting the stance of both Embassy and Timsina, we can at least make a predicament [Editor: it is a ‘predicament’ but the word I assume he wants to use is ‘prediction’] that there are possibilities of infiltration even if such cases aren’t found till date. So authorities concerned should be alert in possible infiltration of non-Bhutanese in refugee resettlement.

What a mess.

Canadian blogger says its not too late to reform immigration and save Canada

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

You should all visit this blog from Canada entitled:  “Canadian Immigration Reform Blog.”   Paxcanadiana today quotes from a column published in the Vancouver Courier about the Macleans trial/Mark Steyn and then makes further comments of his own. 

A realistic solution to Canada’s woes is to limit Canada’s immigration intake while initiating policies that encourages the growth of the nation’s birth rate. The natural birth rate is the most effective means of population growth, not mass immigration. To have to solely rely on immigration is an embarrassment and a symptom of a dying society that sees no worth in it’s self preservation. This is cultural suicide. Do we Canadians and our government see no worth in ourselves that population replacement via mass immigration is more preferable to self preservation? If so then maybe Canada is not worth saving after all. 

Many of you may have followed Steyn’s inquisition before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.  He got in trouble for simply saying that Muslim immigration to Europe and the high birthrates of those immigrants would one day turn Europe into a Muslim continent.  

UN Rep: Conditions improved for Rohingya, some resettled, no help for criminals

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Speaking in Bangladesh on World Refugee Day, a UNHCR representative had this to say about the Rohingya Muslim refugees.   The whole article is here.

Speaking as the chief guest at the discussion, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative Pia Prytz Phiri said, “Thousands of people in Bangladesh are getting displaced due to poverty, limited arable land and river erosion.” We need to be conscious about their protection, she added.

Phiri said she was happy that the situation of around 27,500 Rohingya refugees in two camps in Cox’s Bazar is now much better in terms of education, health, housing, water and sanitation, which was in precarious condition just two years ago.

She further said some developed countries like Canada, the UK and New Zealand have agreed for resettlement of some Rohingyas, but this scheme is limited.

Referring to reported criminal activities by the Rohingyas, the UNHCR representative said, “If some refugees are criminals, we are not going to protect them. Police should take actions as per laws.”

Here is a question for those who have criticized this blog for suggesting that some Rohingya are not the sort we want to bring to America, why would anyone even mention the word “criminal” in the context of a discussion about Rohingya if there wasn’t some evidence of Rohingya criminal activity?

For additional background on this controversial subject see Rohingya Reports here.

Saskatoon, Canada getting 200 refugees soon

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Just as in the US, Canada is spreading out refugees across its entire geographic landscape (see map for Saskatoon).   World Refugee Day yesterday inspired all sorts of news releases, it was a great news ‘hook’ to repeat how great refugees are for communities.  

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced funding to help refugees settle and succeed in Saskatoon.

The Saskatoon Open Door Society will receive over $260,000 and Global Gathering Place will receive over $65,000 to help up to 200 refugees begin their new lives in Saskatchewan.

“Canada is a blessed country, and the Government of Canada is committed to helping those truly in need to begin their new lives in Canada,” said Minister Finley. “As we celebrate World Refugee Day later this week, these services will help them along their journey. The hopes and dreams they bring with them will help build a richer and stronger Canada.”

Falling on June 20, World Refugee Day is an annual opportunity to honour the courage of the millions of refugees and displaced people around the world.

This post is just FYI for our Canadian readers.  There is some contact information at the end of the news release in case you need to reach Canadian refugee officials.  You might want to find out where the 200 new refugees are coming from.