……or looking to escape crime? Or, both?
This is your basic refugee warm and fuzzy story about refugees finding new lives in the suburbs of Chicago. It is also a prime example of why RRW exists. The media penchant to gloss over problems in refugee resettlement that do not fit the political Leftwing world-view must be balanced.
Census figures have come out recently to show the flow outward from Chicago’s slums, where the refugees were first resettled by federal contractors, to surrounding suburbs.
From Medill Reports:
New waves of refugees are branching outwards from Chicago to surrounding suburbs adding to growing diversity in adjacent counties.
Job opportunities [?], increasing numbers of refugee organizations [federal contractors increasing in number?], desire for better education for their children and a semblance of their homeland contribute to this trend, according to refugee experts.
The U.S. Census Bureau Wednesday released 2010 census data confirming a 10-year exodus from Chicago to the suburbs. Refugees who continue to be part of that wave face intimidating lifestyle changes. Lack of easy access to public transportation and less ethnic and religious diversity can pose challenges for refugees living in suburbs.
[…..]
It is estimated that there are currently 136,000 refugees in Illinois with 40 percent, or 54,400, residing in the suburbs.
Silverman (below) says they are moving out for jobs, but then says refugees are unemployed. Which is it?
And, no where in this article does it mention Silverman* coming under fire here for earlier resettling refugees in crime-ridden slums in Chicago. I’ll bet the US State Department told Silverman and the contractors to get them the h*** out of Chicago.
Edwin Silverman, chief of the Illinois Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services, said approximately 136,000 refugees live in Illinois. Up until five years ago, 85 percent of refugees lived in Chicago. But that has decreased to about 60 percent now, Silverman said.
“Part of the reason is that one organization, World Relief, has offices in Wheaton and Aurora and they have had greater access to jobs,” Silverman said. “So it’s mainly been a jobs issue – because of the recession, refugees have remained unemployed.” [readers, I believe this is why no legally mandated annual reports are coming out of ORR. They don’t want to show the unemployment numbers for refugees.]
Affordable housing in short supply in the suburbs (not surprising) and I am skeptical about whether the resettlement contractors are working with local government. They weren’t doing that two years ago.
Wouldn’t you think the reporter for Medill would do a little googling? Here, Friends of Refugees reports on the living conditions World Relief has provided for refugees in Aurora.
Suburban organizations also have to work with local government and schools to make sure their towns can handle more refugees each year. [In 2008 I reported that Aurora was having a difficult time with too many refugees, here].
Finding affordable housing for refugees is another issue for organizations to consider. [In competition with low income Americans—ed]
Meanwhile, the refugee defender outfit, Illinois Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (funded largely by taxpayers), is busy helping to “organize” in Egypt, here.
* Learn more about Edwin Silverman here and how he and representatives of the State Department treated a critic of their Chicago resettlement policies.