Oh well, a few days late….
For new readers, every month (we previously reported every week which was too much), I post a roundup of the top posts for the previous month and the top ten countries from which readers hail.
Another thing I do every month (because there are so many new readers and navigating here could be confusing) is tell you generally what I do and where to find information. (My usual boiler-plate is below)
I’ve noticed again recently that readers first arriving at RRW must think that this is some giant organization with staff and interns etc. It isn’t! This is a blog, a single topic blog, a news outlet focused primarily on the subject of the UN/US State Department Refugee Admissions Program and more generally on the issue of refugee movement around the world. It is just me here with occasional guest writers. So, I ask your patience if you post a comment and it’s a day later before I post it. Or, if you send me something and I don’t acknowledge it.
Normally I blog from my home in Maryland, but am hoping to write from the road this summer, so watch for further information in the coming month or so.
Top Three Posts for April 2016 (daily top posts are in the right hand side bar):
1)Are you within a 100-mile radius of a resettlement site? If so, you are in the (ever-expanding) target range
2)Surprise! Missoula, Montana expected to get mostly Muslim refugees after all
3)Announcement from US Embassy in Jordan: Syrian refugee surge to America is now underway
These are the Top Ten Countries from which readers arrived here (excluding the US and in descending order):
Canada
UK
Australia
Germany
France
South Africa
Norway
Netherlands
New Zealand
Sweden
For New Readers (or longtime readers who have forgotten!)
I’ve started a new blog so that I can write about Election 2016, immigration (the only issue that matters!) and any fun thing I feel like posting. Go to American Resistance 2016! and subscribe.
We have over 7,500 posts archived at RRW extending back to the summer of 2007. Use the search window with a few key words to look for information (LOL! before you send an e-mail asking me to find things for you!).
Also, see our Frequently Asked Questions and our fact sheet (out of date but still useful) in the header.
I’ve been tweeting a lot and sometimes if I can’t write about a story you send, I tweet it. See our twitter feed in the right-hand side bar. Even if you aren’t on twitter, you should be able to open the links to the news embedded in the tweet. I am@RefugeeWatcher.
Likewise you might want to ‘like’ and follow RRW’s facebook page, here. See it also in the left-hand side bar.
If you are looking for fellow grassroots activists in ‘pockets of resistance’ see the Refugee Resisters facebook page here (Jim Simpson).
All previous round-ups and this one are archived in a category simply called ‘blogging.’
My video about how the refugee program works is here (over 2.4 million views as of this writing).
All comments you submit are screened and we don’t post threats of violence, most foul language, or ad hominem attacks on other commenters. Sometimes I am away from the computer for many hours, so you may not see your comment posted quickly. And, lately I’ve noticed a delay by wordpress in sending me your comments.
As much as I would love to see you all in your hometowns, I hate speaking. I think I am more useful right here researching and writing. However, I am thinking of a project for this summer that might take me to other states, but that is still in the ‘planning’ stage. I’ll know more next month.
Refugee Resettlement Watch is an entirely volunteer project by me—I haven’t raised funds or advertised. I am a free agent! No one pays me (in case my critics think I work for some monstrous evil outfit). Therefore, I have no staff, no help, and so if I don’t answer the hundreds of e-mails I get every day, you know why! And, I do apologize!
P.S. There is so much happening on this subject that I would welcome (I encourage!) others to start blogs on the topic, either to cover your local and state issues or even to pick up more of the load nationally! It does your community no good if you research, find important information (perhaps damning information) and then don’t share it widely!