Day: September 2, 2008

HIV epidemic (in the US!) reported among Black immigrants from Africa

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

As I said earlier today, most of our important stories come to us from our readers and this one is no exception.   You may have heard on the news a few months ago that HIV-AIDS was on the rise in the Black community in the US, but it appears that rise is not among Black Americans but is a result of immigration.  Unfortunately I don’t have time to do it justice but here is how it begins:

There is a “hidden epidemic” of HIV amongst African migrants living in the United States, according to investigators writing in the September 12 edition of AIDS. The researchers found that African-born individuals in the US had a disproportionately high prevalence of HIV – although they comprised only 0.6% of the study population, almost 4% of HIV diagnoses were amongst African-born individuals. Furthermore, the investigators found that in one health area approximately 50% of HIV infections amongst black people were amongst individuals originating in Africa.

Apparently when statistics are gathered, no one distinguishes between those Blacks who are native born and immigrant Blacks.   The article goes on to spell out some of the consequences:

Failure to acknowledge the scale of the HIV epidemic amongst African-born individuals, could, the investigators argue, mean that the HIV prevention and care needs of African-born US residents are being neglected. The investigators call on the US government and health authorities to target information about the availability of HIV testing and care to individuals from Africa, and for the gathering of accurate surveillance data about the country of origin of individuals diagnosed with HIV.

Aidsmap News tells us something we already know and that is that HIV positive refugees have been allowed to enter the US and it obliquely mentions that no one will be barred from entering with HIV in the very near future (thanks to a bill signed into law by President Bush).

Read the whole article here and take note of the US hot spots for the immigrant-fueled HIV epidemic.  See our health issues category for all of our posts on this important topic.

Somalis sailing to Malta: I want a tea party too!

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here we go again, another mention that Somalis are breaking into Malta.

A group of 28 Somali illegal immigrants were brought into Birzebbuga on Sunday night, after they were spotted some 17 miles off Delimara by a local sailing yacht.

Malta has been targeted as a destination by Somalis since the situation in that country deteriorated; they now make up some three quarters of migrant arrivals, according to sources.

“Since the situation in that country deteriorated” and since we started airlifting these illegal aliens to the US with a TEA PARTY SEND-OFF!     Our ambassador to Malta is transforming illegals into refugees, giving them tea parties at her home and sending them to a city where you live at your expense. 

Is it any wonder they keep coming to Malta!  This is insane.

Thanks for the kind words about RRW

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Over the Labor Day weekend our work here at Refugee Resettlement Watch received praise—twice! 

First, we are mentioned by Dymphna at Gates of Vienna blog in a lengthy dissection of the recent ICE raid in Mississippi.  Read “An American Tale: The Perfect Cultural Storm” here.

Then our friend Jerry Gordon wrote at The Iconoclast that RRW was discussed on a radio program here, in which Gordon suggested that the Refugee Resettlement Act of 1980 must be reformed.

I suggested that the US Refugee Act of 1980 was ‘broken’ and that its overhaul by the Congress was long overdue. Christine Brim of the CSP, the WIBG radio panel moderator suggested to listeners that for more information on this topic they consult Refugee Resettlement Watch (RRW) that maintains a daily ‘watching brief’ on these abuses of the federal and state programs for legal humanitarian refugees.

Go to the Iconoclast and see the discussion centered around Patrick Poole’s article on CAIR and Charter Schools for (mostly Somali) Muslims here.   Reader Robert first brought that article to our attention.   We thank him and all of our readers who forward us much of our great material!

Thanks again!  And, yikes, we will try to live up to everyone’s praise!