Update: Ft. Wayne, IN Burmese worried they won’t be able to get their extended family in, here.
The US State Department is moving on to other ethnic groups, like the Congolese, or perhaps the Syrians, having brought 73,000 Burmese to the US since 2005. We hope that the closing of the program from Myanmar/Burma means that the Burmese Rohingya Muslims need not apply!
From AFP:
Washington — The United States is winding down a program which has helped to resettle 73,000 refugees from Myanmar over almost a decade, a US official confirmed Thursday.
After being introduced in 2005 primarily to help Karen and Hmong minorities that have been displaced in Myanmar, also known as Burma, “we’re reaching the natural conclusion” of the program, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
“With our robust resettlement program, the number of eligible Burmese refugees has been reduced significantly, and not all Burmese who are eligible for resettlement consideration are interested in permanent resettlement,” she said.
Refugees from Myanmar who are still interested in resettling in the US should get their applications in quick, Psaki added.
“If those who are eligible are interested, they should apply now, and we will see the process through for all those who apply.”
A politically incorrect observation!
I often wonder if the resettlement contractors just get sick of certain ethnic groups and urge the State Department to bring them a new variety of refugee to add to their diverse collection. It is horrible to suggest, but sometimes I think they are like animal hoarders who have a mental disorder and want only to add to their collection while it is beyond their means to do so—animal hoarders want to possess the animals even if they cannot afford to care for them in a humane fashion.