As we have hypothesized on many previous occasions, “church” federal contractors don’t want the taxpayer money spigot turned off because they have grown dependent on your money to do their “charitable” work. Apparently the number of refugees arriving has slowed due to enhanced security checks (good news indeed!) and Catholics are wailing—we need our $700 per head to keep our offices open!
I don’t know that I have ever seen such an overt admission as this one about the connection between the refugee head count and the money.
From Catholic News Service:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CNS) — The number of refugees taking shelter in the United States has slowed to a trickle following new security measures put in place by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Meanwhile, Catholic refugee resettlement offices across the country are left waiting, uncertain when the flow of refugees will begin again — and when it does, how many refugees may be allowed to enter the country.
[….]
Each year, the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services and its diocesan affiliates resettle between 27 percent and 28 percent of the total number authorized to come to the United States, with other aid organizations helping the rest.
An MRS staffer in Washington told Catholic News Service May 16 that of 80,000 authorized for entry this year, the agency and its diocesan affiliates expected to resettle 23,358 refugees. But because of the slow down, only 38 percent of the number authorized by Obama have entered the United States.
Delays in the refugee resettlement process are being caused by a backlog of security clearances and additional security “holds,” according to Larry Bartlett, acting director of the Office of Refugee Admissions for the State Department. The additional security measures are part of a larger series of security enhancements by the Homeland Security Department.
Agencies receive $700 per person to help with the resettlement process, providing vital services from the point of picking them up at the airport to helping them get settled into American life. This reimbursement is awarded only for the refugees who actually arrive.
Simply put, no new refugees means reduced funding for the aid organizations — and no reimbursement money to cover the expense of diocesan staff and services needed for refugees who are already here, until more refugees arrive. [Sounds like a ponzi scheme!—ed]
Readers, the Refugee Resettlement program was originally set up with the understanding that it was to be a public-private partnership. Now, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Migration and Refugee Services is almost completely funded with tax dollars. Go here for example to their 2009 annual report (page 13) and note that on the income side of the ledger they received $58 million from government grants and contracts and collected $1.3 million from Catholic Relief Services (private donations). That translates to 94% of all their funding is from YOUR taxes!
Go here to a post I wrote in February about what else (what other political issues) the USCCB uses your money for!
Asylum lawyer Jason Dzubow had this to say about the reduced number of refugees and the resultant loss of revenue to resettlement agencies due to increased security measures causing a slow-down in the refugee industry pipeline.