(Sound of snoring) For groups like the International Rescue Committee (IRC) any refugee goal from any country at any time is insufficient. As the new fiscal year begins October 1, you will see and hear more from the volags (supposedly voluntary organizations), who are paid with your money to resettle refugees, issuing press releases like this one.
The IRC is one of the top ten non-profit groups that receive huge State Department and Health and Human Services grants to resettle refugees. They are paid by the head—no refugees=not enough money to keep their offices open and staffs busy.
Here is a post I wrote last fall in which I reported that in 2005, the IRC received $88 million from the taxpayers of the US—that was just for that year! Its chief executive is paid a salary higher than the VP of the United States or Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
If these groups raised all their money privately, then they could advocate for more refugees all they wanted, but they don’t so it causes people to be suspicious when they are busy discouraging Iraqis from returning to Iraq where they are wanted to rebuild that country.
The IRC is alarmed [I bet they are] by exaggerated reports of improving stability in Iraqi communities, as well as statements and enticements that promote the premature return of displaced families.
Yeah, IRC, just bring the Iraqis here to clean motels and get angry.
We have written 233 posts on Iraqi refugees in our special category here.