International Rescue Committee wants Obama ceiling raised on FY15 refugees to accommodate Syrians

11/13/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Recently we told you that another US refugee resettlement contractor***, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, was petitioning to pressure the Obama Administration to raise this year’s refugee ceiling from 70,000 to 100,000, but now we see that the IRC is pushing for a change as well.

Where did we get that information? From a new report just released by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in conjunction with the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband (left) heads the IRC and was feted by Bill Clinton, George Soros, Samantha Power and Madeleine Albright in NYC last December. https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/2013/12/09/new-york-times-slobbers-over-david-milibands-arrival-in-nyc-to-lead-refugee-contractor/

We saw the news here at Islamic Invitation Turkey in an article entitled: ‘US, EU criticized for accepting small numbers of Syria refugees.’

Two international refugee organizations have criticized the US and European states for admitting only a tiny number of the people displaced by the war in Syria.

In a report released on Wednesday, the International Rescue Committee and the Norwegian Refugee Council said the plight of the displaced Syrian people has reached “a new level of hopelessness.”

The report said that the US and European countries need “to do more, and quickly” in accepting Syrian refugees.

It said the US had accepted just 166 Syrian refugees by the end of September, while Britain a few hundred. France has said it will accept just 500 displaced Syrian people.

This is while international refugee organizations have called on developed countries to accept at least five percent of Syria’s refugees. [That amounts to about 150,000 Syrians they would like to see brought to the West.—ed]

So here is what the report says about the US beginning on page 16. After stating that the US has 4,000 Syrians in the pipeline:

“….it is critical that the overall global refugee admissions ceiling in the US be raised beyond the current level of 70,000 persons.”

Interesting as well, is that the IRC lists other ways to legally bring in more Syrians:

~ Student visas

~ Family reunification

~ Private sponsorship

~ Work visas

See all of our posts (going back to 2007) on the IRC by clicking here.

It is so very important for you to express your concern to your Representatives and Senators in Washington about throwing open our doors to Syrian Muslims.

Update November 14th: More here on Miliband stumping for more resettlement at The Guardian.

***Nine major US refugee contractors are being paid by the head to resettle refugees:

Groundbreaking case in Europe: Countries can stop welfare shoppers

11/13/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here is more ‘invasion of Europe’ news that gives me an idea for a change in US law.

Maybe there is a way to amend some American laws to give states the right to restrict welfare handouts so that we don’t see cases like the recent one in Cheyenne, WY where Somalis arrived, not to work, but to scoop up subsidized housing vouchers to take back to Colorado.

Is a little bit of sovereignty being returned to European countries?

From The Telegraph (EU court rules benefit tourists can be excluded from welfare schemes):

The European Court of Justice declares EU member states must have ‘the possibility of refusing’ social benefits to ‘economically inactive’ EU citizens.

Britain can ban European Union migrants from claiming “special non-contributory cash benefits” for up to five years, according to a landmark judgement in Luxembourg.

The EU courts have ruled that it is up to the Government, not Brussels, how it drafts legislation that that excludes foreign, European nationals from claiming social assistance benefits.

As well as asserting national sovereignty over out-of-work welfare benefits, the European Court of Justice has stopped unemployed migrants from using human rights legislation to appeal against measures blocking them from benefits.

[….]

The German case involved two Romanian nationals, Elisabeta Dano and her son Florin, who were refused benefits in Leipzig because she “did not enter Germany in order to seek work there”.

She and her son have been residing in Germany since November 2010.

“One of the conditions for a right of residence is that economically inactive persons must have sufficient resources of their own,” said the EU court. “The directive thus seeks to prevent economically inactive EU citizens from using the host member state’s welfare system to fund their means of subsistence.”

Photo: There is another story at DPA International quoting Scheuer on the decision:

“Those who only come to Germany wanting to lay in the social hammock can be denied social benefits.”

But don’t forget, it is Germany that has invited tens of thousands of Syrians to live there, and the city of Cologne recently purchased that 4-star hotel for migrants. So, me thinks, there is a little schizophrenia going on here with the potential for a huge clash coming in Germany at some point. Either that, or it is perfectly acceptable to Scheuer and other leaders to allow “refugees” and “asylum seekers” to lay around in hammocks, but not citizens of other European countries.

For our ‘Invasion of Europe’ archive go here.

Ohio University program geared to get the kids’ minds right on refugees…

11/13/2014 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

….presents “harrowing” tale about the “multinational nature of the refugee experience” as a Somali illegal alien arrives in America.

That story about the Somali arriving in the US illegally across our southern border is most interesting to me.

Ethnographer Tariq Tarey will tell harrowing story about illegal alien Somali sneaking into America. http://tariqtarey.com/about/

If you happen to live anywhere near Ohio University Lancaster, you might want to check out the program next week.

From Logan Daily:

LANCASTER – November is a month where many remember to be thankful for what they have. During International Education Week, Lancaster campus students, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to hear from refugees in Central Ohio who are very thankful to be living here.

The campuses at Ohio University have different themes during International Week to examine issues of cultural tolerance and understanding.

“The theme for Ohio University Lancaster’s International Education Week is Safe Haven: Refuge in Ohio,” said OUL development director Mandi Custer. “We will be looking at the different cultures that have come into Central Ohio from places like Rwanda and Somalia.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m., a panel discussion will be held (“Voices of Refuge”) in the Raymond S. Wilkes Gallery for the Visual Arts. The panel will be made up of refugees from around the globe talking about how they came to the United States and Central Ohio.

[….]

On Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m., conflict in another country will take center stage at OUL. Somali Refugee and Documentarian Tariq Tarey will speak in the Wagner Theatre.

Then isn’t this interesting, presented as if there is nothing wrong with Somalis (or anyone) arriving illegally across our southern border, Tariq Tarey will talk about an illegal alien Somali.

So where did the poor struggling Somali illegal alien get the money to travel half way across the world to Colombia, and up through Panama, Central America and across all of Mexico with no one stopping him along the way? Will anyone dare ask that question of presenter Tariq Tarey?

And, while you are asking, ask why the star of his documentary needed to come illegally when we have resettled over one hundred thousand Somalis over a couple of decades—there is a legal line for Somalis!

The Logan Daily continues:

According to the Somali Community Association of Ohio***, Somali refugees started arriving in the U.S. in 1991. Since 1995, Columbus, Ohio, has proven to be a popular destination for refugees, and today Ohio has the second largest Somali population in the U.S. It is estimated that there are at least 38,000 Somali immigrants and refugees living in the Columbus metropolitan area.

Tarey will talk about how and why refugees from Somalia end up in Central Ohio. He’ll also show clips from his documentaries, which focus on the stories of refugees.

“One of the stories is of a man who literally walked from South America to California to get into the states,” said Custer.

“Tarey’s documentary on the Darién Gap is harrowing, but also interesting,” said Ohio University Lancaster English Assistant Professor Matt Wanat. “It uses the journey of one man through a stretch of dense forest and swamp between Colombia and Panama to document both the multinational nature of the refugee experience and the hardships so many face. I look forward to Mr. Tarey’s talk.”

***The Somali Community Association of Ohio has one of the strangest Form 990’s I’ve ever looked at.

Note on page 9 of its most recent form, here. Total revenue was $354,331 and $353,761 came from government grants. They received $570 from non-cash contributions so they are 99% funded by taxpayers.

Then go to page 10 where they have listed:

$4,104 for compensation to officers, but no other salaries and yet they spent $2,206 for payroll taxes.

$27,254 was spent for occupancy and $6,000 for accounting (for this tiny outfit?). But zero office expenses are listed. See some of the other misc. expenses as well.

Most of their money, a whopping $298,289 went for a summer food program which I see they do have in Ohio for poor kids to eat over the summer. I don’t have time to look for their government grant for this food program, but since they had no other income that year the food grant (was it halal food?) also covered a few of their other expenses…like the $27,254 occupancy expense…to the tune of over $55,000 for the year. Hmmmm! Audit needed here?

For more information, I typed “Somali Community Association of Ohio” into our search window and get all of these previous posts. Typing in “Somalis Ohio” we get a whole lot more, here.