Reader TonyLee says that he has heard that fairly well-off refugees who came to the US in the 1980’s and 1990’s did not suffer any consequences for not repaying taxpayer funded airfare “loans,” while today’s really poor refugees are hounded by the volags (supposedly non-profit federal contractors) for the money. Here is what he says:
Here’s another rumor. We know the Volags chase down the refugees to recover the interest-free loans made for airfare to the U.S. (must inculcate responsibility, you see).
We know the Volags pocket a whopping 25% of the funds they collect.
I have seen almost comical threatening legal letters sent to people who are illiterate. In these letters they are told their credit will be wrecked, they will be unable to buy a house, etc, etc.
Here is the rumor: those who arrived in the 80’s and 90’s did not pay back their loans and did not suffer any consequences.
Ironically, the Volags today are hounding truly poor and oppressed refugees for their last crumbs while the refugees who arrived in the 80’s and early 90’s who were not really refugees at all – many were basically middle class, educated Soviet Jews, never paid back the air loans. They were told they didn’t have to.
As we mentioned the other day in launching this new category (Rumors!), we do want to get at the truth about many many aspects of the Refugee Resettlement Program that are being kept hidden from the general public.
Can anyone tell us if Mr. Lee’s rumor is true or false?