Month: December 2008

Unemployed Americans competing with immigrant labor for jobs

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here is a story, thanks to Blulitespecial, from the Wall Street Journal about how Americans are now competing for work—any kind of work—with immigrants.   Although the article is mostly focused on Hispanic immigrants, we have been reporting regularly about the difficulty refugees are having finding jobs in the present economy.   Here is one of many posts I’ve written on the subject lately.

According to Miriam Jordan at the Wall Street Journal:

LOS ANGELES — A year ago, a day-laborer center adjacent to a Home Depot here teemed with Latin American immigrants who showed up and found a sure day’s work painting, gardening or hauling.

These days, more than immigrants are packing the Hollywood Community Job Center: Unemployed Americans are joining them. There’s little work for anybody.

“Everybody is coming to look for work,” says Rene Jemio, outreach coordinator for the hiring hall. “It’s not just your average immigrant anymore; it’s African-Americans and whites, too.”

For the first time in a decade, unskilled immigrants are competing with Americans for work. And evidence is emerging that tens of thousands of Hispanic immigrants are withdrawing from the labor market as U.S. workers crowd them out of potential jobs. At least some of the foreigners are returning home.

Read on.

Refugee doctors missing in Great Britain

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Jihad Watch has the story here.   From the original article:

Terrorism expert Dr David Capitanchik said more care had to be taken in monitoring doctors from countries with a tradition of Islamic extremism.

He added: “In the past hospitals have tended to focus more on looking at people’s medical qualifications. But attitudes now need to change.” 

While Great Britain is trying to find its Muslim doctors our military is planning to hire them.  See post earlier this month.

Boatloads of Rohingya men captured by Thai Navy

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

So far this year 5000 Rohingya (Burmese Muslim) refugees presumably from Bangladesh have been apprehended by the Thai Navy, the most recent incident was a week ago.

UNITED Nations help for dealing with the issue of Burmese boat people has been urged by Royal Thai Navy officials.

They are concerned by a startling rise in the number of Rohingya men arrested in Thai waters, especially so far this month.

The latest large group of men apprehended on Saturday were ”like sardines in a can,” a spokesman told Phuketwan.

So far this year, nearly 5000 Rohingya have been caught. Concerns are held for Thaiand’s security because they have all been men.*

The Navy has supplied Phuketwan with photographs of its December 13 interception and capture of a single boatload of 210 Burmese Muslim men. (See Photo)

*Thailand has been having problems in recent years with Islamic terrorism.   And, it just occurred to me, George Bush has nothing to do with it.

YMCA has International program working with refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I didn’t know that about the YMCA until I saw this Houston Chronicle article about Jeff  Watkins, executive director of YMCA International Services in Houston.    I just have a little time this morning to dash off a few posts, so here are 3 nuggets pulled from this article that interested me.

First, I didn’t know that even 5% of Iraqi refugees were returning to Iraq (or back to the Middle East):

“The Iraqi refugees we currently work with speak English and are highly intelligent,” Watkins said.

Some refugees have “inflated expectations” that their training or recertifications will allow them to work in their former professions.

All but about 5 percent make the effort to complete the resettlement program and remain in the United States, he said.

And, this was interesting, although we could have guessed.

“Houston is a magnet for Vietnam just as Chicago and St. Louis are magnets for former Yugoslavia [Bosnian Muslims], and Minneapolis and St. Paul are magnets for Somalia,” Watkins said.

And finally, no terrorists need apply:

The program provides checkpoints and background screenings at each step of the process, starting before the refugee boards a plane for the United States, Watkins said.

“If you’re a terrorist and you want to gain entrance to the United States, this is one of the worst programs you could choose,” he said.

Japan begins to take refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

For the first time, and becoming the first country in Asia to accept refugees through the United Nations, Japan accepts 30 Burmese refugees.

(Kyodo) _ Japan will accept around 30 refugees from Myanmar who are currently taking shelter in Thailand, in fiscal 2010 that starts April 1 that year, under a recent Cabinet agreement to introduce the so-called third-country refugee resettlement program, government officials said Thursday.

Representatives from justice, foreign affairs and nine other ministries and agencies will hold a meeting Friday at the prime minister’s office to decide on details, such as reception facilities for the Myanmar refugees, the officials said.

The refugee resettlement program calls for third countries to accept refugees who flee their conflict-stricken home countries to nearby states but find it hard to resettle in either of those nations.

Read my previous post on Japan here.