Category: Africa

Fishy Somali deportation story in Lewiston, ME

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I could almost not believe my eyes when I read this story from the Somali capital of Maine.  A judge has ordered the deportation of an apparently law abiding Somali man and his family—ostensibly back to SOMALIA.  What the heck!  We don’t deport to Somalia, we don’t even deport criminal Somalis back to that hell hole.

I’ve written many times on these pages about Canada, for instance, deporting to Somalia, but we don’t.  As a matter of fact, you know the guy I call the Somali Jesse Jackson Omar Jamal (search him here to see what I mean)?  He was found guilty of immigration fraud in Tennessee a number of years ago and we never deported him.  We let him run around the country freely doing his defense of all things Somali.

I’m guessing the plan to deport cafe owner—Mahamed Mahamud—from Lewiston to Somalia is an Obama administration (ICE) strategy to bring sympathy to Somalis illegally here in the US.   Obama is building his case for amnesty.   Or, there is a lot more we don’t know about Mohamud and the court does.

From the Sun Journal (hat tip: Susan):

LEWISTON — Three One Cafe, a popular Lisbon Street restaurant, is closing March 31 because owner Mahamed Mahamud faces deportation, he said.

Mahamud said he was never granted asylum, and closing the business he opened in 2008 at 259 Lisbon St. will allow him time to make plans to take his family back to Somalia.

He and his wife, Shukri Ali, have three children, ages 14, 8 and 4. The two younger children were born here and are U.S. citizens. The oldest child and the parents are not.

Mahamud and his family came to Lewiston in 2002. In 2003, a judge denied them asylum, he said, which meant he could not get a green card to work toward citizenship. The judge did grant a temporary work permit or visa, Mahamud said. He has renewed the work permit a number of times, but he is now being told he must leave, he said.

Read it all—a story written to garner sympathy.

By the way, the Saudis can’t stand the illegal alien Somalis and against the objections of the UN, the Saudis (their Muslim co-religionists) just drop off unwanted Somalis into Mogadishu, here.

Boise’s got problems (again!)

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

One of the most frustrating things about writing about the US State Department’s Refugee Resettlement Program is that the same stories cycle around from month to month and year to year (each new young reporter thinking they have a cool story).

This morning I see that lo-and-behold Boise, ID can’t support thousands of refugees, as if they have just discovered this problem.   I immediately had a look at our Boise archives and sure enough we’ve been reporting on the Boise overload since 2008!…and, about the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) whining about it!

From NPR in Boston (reporter Molly Messick):

In the last few years, more than 4,000 refugees have found their way [Dear young reporter, they don’t “find their way,” they are taken there by a federal contractor–ed] to a far-flung spot: Idaho. Most of the state’s incoming refugees come to Boise. For years, the city’s strong economy, good-quality affordable housing and supportive community created an especially favorable environment for refugee resettlement. The recession has shifted that picture.

[…..]

“Three years ago, we were just seeing a few extreme cases of refugees that had consistent difficulty with integration, and then it really happened very suddenly, where there were 50, 60, 100 families really struggling,” she says.

She says, “for years” Boise was a favorable environment for refugees—heck, as I just mentioned, I have stories from 2008 where the overload was already evident (and the IRC’s Boise program only started in 2006)!   Here is one where the IRC Pres. George Rupp is bawling in Boise for more government money because the refugees aren’t finding work.

IRC says they are NOW slowing the flow (remember in 2008 they already knew they had problems):

The recession has complicated the hard task of refugee resettlement nationwide. The shift is especially stark in Boise, because the city has long been regarded as a good place for refugees to put down new roots.

“Boise was particularly favorable, yes,” says Bob Carey, who oversees resettlement and migration policy for the International Rescue Committee. Carey’s based in New York, but the IRC has a Boise office, too, opened in 2006. At that time, Idaho had the fastest growing economy in the country, and unemployment in the Boise area was under 3 percent.

“It was a very strong employment market, and there were certainly many jobs available for refugees at the entry level when they arrived in Boise,” he says. “So for those people who were able to work, we could generally find them jobs that would allow them to support themselves within 90 days.”

Now, Boise is one of the places where the IRC has reduced the number of refugees it aims to resettle each year, cutting back by about a third. In addition, it and other local agencies that help refugees find work have adopted new strategies.

Let’s take a little side trip to the IRC’s most recent Form 990 (I haven’t looked at one of their financial reports to the IRS in awhile).   The organization had an income stream in 2010 of $316 million—-$200 million came from you, the taxpayer.   Former Columbia University President*and now IRC President George Rupp took home $428,571 in salary and benefits putting him surely in the 1%.  More then ten employees took home six-figure salaries and most of those topped $200,000.

It is classic doing well by doing good!   Maybe they might want to share some of their good fortune with the now unfortunate refugees like Rwandan mother of two,Virginie (the star of this article today).  But, no, foisting her on the taxpayer is what this is all about.

Despite the clear difficulty of Virginie’s situation, there’s room for hope. Virginie and her daughters have been lucky to get subsidized housing, at a moment when many waiting lists are closed.

How many times now have I had reports that refugees are getting subsidized housing as American citizens including the disabled wait on the list (if they can get on the list).

* I wonder did ol’ George know Columbia professors Cloward and Piven and was he a supporter of the Cloward-Piven strategy to create chaos by overloading the welfare system (under the guise of helping the downtrodden).

ANC: Too many foreigners in South Africa, new policy on refugees proposed

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Previously:  too many foreigners in France, here.

Did you know that just earlier this year the African National Congress (ANC), the party of Nelson Mandela and the now ruling party of the “rainbow nation,” turned 100.   And, it was just last week that President Obama likened himself to Mandela saying it takes time for change, for peaceful change.  I wonder does Obama have any idea what the myth of the “rainbow nation” has come to in S. Africa?

Before I tell you the latest on the proposed crackdown on “refugees,” below are some of the promises the ANC makes to its citizens (no wonder “refugees” are pouring into the country).  Sounds a bit like a bunch of commies wrote this:

* The people shall govern
* All national groups shall have equal rights
* The people shall share in the country`s wealth
* The land shall be shared among those who work it
* All shall be equal before the law
* All shall enjoy equal human rights
* There shall be work and security
* The doors of learning and culture shall be opened
* There shall be houses, security and comfort
* There shall be peace and friendship

Who wouldn’t run to a country with promises like that!  Now to reality….

We reported recently that white South Africans are seeking asylum around the world, here.

And here is the latest news on South Africa trying to get its borders under control and deal with the  masses flowing into the country.   I love these delicious irony stories!  You didn’t hear this from any US media did you?

When “rainbow nation” mumbo jumbo hits reality

From the Mail & Guardian of S.Africa:

South Africa should take “robust steps” to refuse to grant refugee status to asylum seekers who have transited through one or more “safe” countries, according to the ANC policy discussion document released this week.

“Building appropriate relationships with other such countries, which are also signatories to the conventions on refugees and in particular our neighbours, is key to resolving this problem,” the document states in the chapter on home affairs. “The UN conventions on asylum seekers provide for the ‘first country’ rule, which states that an asylum seeker should seek refuge in the first safe country that he or she reaches.”

[This is international law—legitimate asylum seekers must ask for asylum in the first safe country—not hop around the world looking for the best deals.  As a matter of fact, most asylum seekers on our southern border have traversed through recognized safe countries in Central America and Mexico, yet we don’t turn them back.—ed]

Can you believe it?  Traffickers are moving people into the “rainbow nation:’

A combination of large numbers of asylum seekers, gaps in the law, weak systems and corruption has led to widespread abuse of an overloaded system by criminal syndicates that smuggle and traffic people, the document points out.

Just like Israel and other countries which don’t want to be destroyed, the ANC wants detention centers on its borders:

It suggests that asylum seekers who present a high risk must be accommodated in a secure facility until their status has been determined and that low-risk asylum seekers will be processed while they are assisted by various organisations.

[….]

The document claims that “refugee reception centres” will be relocated along the borders of South Africa, but suggests that a discussion is needed to ensure the home affairs department gets the support it needs to run and house these centres.

One thing that really bugs them (and it bugs me too) is this business of “refugees” who escaped “persecution” in their home country and then just bop back for a visit from time to time.  In the US we have large numbers of Somalis who regularly fly back to the supposed Islamic terrorist-filled country of Somalia to visit.  What is up with that?  Here the ANC suggests that if they leave and go “home” for a visit that they then be barred from re-entry to S. Africa (great idea!):

Among its concerns is that some refugees, including those still seeking asylum, tend to travel to their home countries for visits and return to South Africa. It is proposed that such people should be refused re-entry because they are flouting UN conventions and there is no evidence to show they have anything to fear in their home countries.

And, here is the kicker—give or take a few percentage points around the world—this is the truth!

“As a security department, home affairs will contribute to achieving two overriding goals: national security and public safety,” the document states. “The main challenge currently is that over 95% of those claiming asylum in South Africa are not genuine asylum seekers, but rather are looking for work or business opportunities.”

Read it all here.

Special government-funded employment services for special people

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

That means for refugees (and employers of refugees) and not you!   (This is another in my recent series of posts in a category I’ve titled ‘legal immigration and jobs‘ here.)

I’ve told you before, here, about the Center for Refugees and Immigrants of Tennessee (CRIT) whose Director Abdirizak Hassan was charged some years ago with misusing government grant money and subsequently changed the name of his organization from the Somali Community Center to the present innocuous sounding name—Center for Refugees and Immigrants of Tennessee (henceforth CRIT). Well, he is still getting federal government grants—no debarment for him!  Debarment is when someone has cheated on a government grant and is then not allowed to apply for another one.

Hassan has also been known to pop back and forth to Somalia from time to time—I thought that was a dangerous country from which he sought asylum in the US?

Here is what CRIT says on its website about their employment services (I have highlighted my favorites, and added some notes!):

Are you an employer who needs good, conscientious workers?

The Center for Refugees and Immigrants of Tennessee (CRIT) can help you find good employees without a placement fee! [yippee it’s free! because the feds are picking up the tab!—ed]

We have unrestricted work-authorized refugees with experience in assembly line/production, warehouses, hospitality, quality control, and professional fields.

Why hire a refugee?

* Refugees are permanently work-authorized: You don’t have to worry about tracking them down annually to ensure they are still work-authorized

* You could qualify for tax incentives by hiring refugees: Since many refugees receive public assistance, your company could qualify for tax credits and training incentives when you hire them.   [So, what did I tell you special deals for employers—WHAT TAX CREDIT?—ed]

* Our job placement services are FREE: Rather than spend money placing job advertisements, contact the Center for Refugees and Immigrants of Tennessee. Let us help you find qualified workers FREE OF CHARGE.  [Your business doesn’t have to spend money because the US taxpayer is picking up the tab for special people—ed]

* Refugees have passed numerous background checks during their resettlement: If employers hire refugees, they will not have to incur the significant cost of performing background checks because extensive background checks were done before they arrived in the U.S.  [Kind of like those Iraqi refugees in neighboring Kentucky charged in a terrorism case, turns out they lied on their background checks—ed]

* Refugees have higher job retention rates than other groups in entry level jobs: According to the National Immigration Forum, Dee Zee Manufacturing’s Human Resources Manager Cindee Moyer said “Before I hired refugees, I had a 60% turnover rate. Now I have a 20% [turnover]. I had a 6% absentee rate, now it’s down to .1%.”

* Refugees receive free support from the Center for Refugees and Immigrants of Tennessee: CRIT provides post-placement support for our clients to help them retain their jobs. We assist with filling out paperwork, resolving any on the job issues, and accessing social services. We are always here to serve both the refugee employee and the companies they work for. [Again, employers can pay lower wages because worker needs (food, shelter, healthcare) are being subsidized by the taxpayer—ed]

* Refugees are motivated, hard workers: Because refugees lost their homes as well as their careers in their home countries, they want to regain what they have lost and achieve economic stability. [It’s kind of like slave labor because they can’t go home.—ed]

And, last but not least, they don’t say it, but refugees are willing to work on the following holidays because they are Muslims and don’t give a hoot about our holidays!

    * Refugees are flexible about what shift they work and what days they work: Many refugees will work second or third shift or weekends and holidays. Many of our refugee workers can work on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day.

So again, who is funding CRIT’s “free!” special headhunter service for big business in Tennessee—you are—the US taxpayer!

Here is CRIT’s most recent Form 990.  Out of a gross income of $243,185, $213,105 comes from you via government grants (p. 9).  So, although it is politically incorrect for me to say it so bluntly, you are funding headhunter services for employers who then hire Muslim refugee workers over American workers in Tennessee.  Great huh!

End note:  I wonder if CRIT is working with Tyson Foods to fill their cheap/captive labor needs, here.

MN Somalis threaten to pull money from Wells Fargo bank

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is an update on the controversy that is swirling mostly in Minneapolis but does involve Somalis throughout the US.  Because of laws relating to sending money to terrorists (two MN women were recently found guilty), banks are not allowed to work with the money transfer outfits that help Somalis get remittances back to the Horn of Africa.  I told you about it here and here.

From Minnesota Public Radio:

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Hundreds of Somalis desperate to send money to loved ones in Africa agreed at a meeting Saturday to set a deadline for two banks to help with their cause, or face the possibility of losing business.

The Somali community sends millions of dollars to the horn of Africa each year through Somali-owned money wiring businesses in Minnesota. [LOL! An example of the redistribution of US social services dollars to Africa?–ed] Typically those businesses need a US bank to facilitate the transactions — but the last American bank to do so stopped three months ago. Bank officials said they couldn’t be sure their systems weren’t being used by terrorists under the new feeral restrictions.

The Somalis met at Abubakar Asiddiq Islamic Center to express their growing frustration with the situation.

“If we don’t hear back from US Bank or Wells Fargo on May 11, we’re hoping for more than 20,000 Somali community members — not just Somali community members but anybody who’s in the support of the Somali families — to go to those banks and pull their money out,” said organizer Hindia Ali. Supporters are being urged to find and open accounts with banks that will allow the transactions.”

By the way, this post about why so many Somalis live in Minneapolis is almost daily a top post here.  And, I see MPR has a story recently about how Somalis want to see city wards changed so as to concentrate the Somalis in one ward, here, in order to gain more political clout.