Category: Iraqi refugees

Michigan writer: we should take all the Syrians and Iraqis we can get!

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I suspect this opinion writer (C.A. Joseph Peters) from Ypsilanti, Michigan writing in The Eastern Echo is connected in some way to federal resettlement contractor US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, but there is no mention of his affiliation and we are thus expected to believe he is just a member of John Q. Public.

Michigan is already in the top five states for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant population. https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/2014/02/26/what-is-the-population-of-middle-eastern-and-north-african-immigrants-in-your-state/

From The Eastern Echo (emphasis is mine):

Michigan is the best candidate to accept Iraqi and Syrian refugees, not because of its railroads and factories, forests and rivers, or even because of its system of government, but because of Michiganders themselves. Of the many chapters of the American immigration success story, two of its finest – Polish immigration in the early 20th Century and Lebanese immigration half a century later – were written in Michigan. Michigan may yet write a third.

The situation is this: Iraqis and Syrians are fleeing in the tens of thousands, and Michigan is in need of people. Michigan accepting these refugees would not only be generous but practical.

Mr. Peters then goes on with a lot of the mumbo-jumbo about Polish and Italian immigrants as if they are the same as Middle Eastern Muslims in their world view.  Then he talks about the Christian Middle Easterners as if that is all they will get from Iraq and Syria.  In fact, they will get mostly Muslim refugees from Syria.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), a non-profit refugee aid organization, reported that of the more than 120,000 Chaldeans (Iraqi Christians) who made their way to Detroit almost half a century ago, more than half of them are now business-owners, now helping new Iraqi refugees get on their feet in their new state.

Peters:  Michigan ought to “welcome” hundreds of thousands!

The crisis in Iraq and Syria is known well enough. Hundreds of thousands are fleeing. And Michigan, a state that has welcomed Middle Eastern refugees before, ought to welcome these hundreds of thousands who are feeling [fleeing?–ed] the region today, and encourage one generation of Middle Eastern Michiganders in preparing the next.

Michiganders need to bombard The Eastern Echo with another point of view!

Michigan is this year in the top five resettlement states, see here.  A few years ago the US State Department, fearing Michigan was in overload, slowed the flow (Detroit News 2008) but it looks like that limited moratorium is off now!

World Relief: Spokane, Washington on the list to get Syrians in the new fiscal year

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The new year for the next batch of 100,000 (maybe 200,000 this year counting the Unaccompanied alien children) refugees, asylees, and assorted others the  US State Department and Office of Refugee Resettlement and their nine contractors*** “welcome” to America begins in 6 days.

Mark Kadel, Director of World Relief, Spokane, WA: “…we’ve already been assured that we’ll receive a number of Syrians.” Photo: http://truthatlas.com/mark-kadel-director-of-world-relief-spokane-wa/

Here is a story from Spokane where World Relief (Evangelicals) reports on a new family of Iraqis coming from Syria.

From KXLY.com:

SPOKANE, Wash. –

With the situation in Syria continuing to spiral out of control, between the threat of ISIS and an ongoing civil war, a family originally from Iraq and took refuge in Damascus will arrive in Spokane night.

The State Department reports half of Syria’s population has fled their homes because of the crisis, with thousands of people pouring over the Turkish border seeking refuge each day.

In addition to the Iraqi family arriving from Syria, World Relief Spokane says a Syrian family will be coming in the next couple months with many more to follow.

[….]

World Relief is one of nine organizations contracted by the State Department to resettle refugees that are legally invited to be part of the country. The Spokane office takes anywhere from 500 to 600 refugees a year.

[….]

The State Department estimates that 1,800 people will come to the U.S. from Syria in 2015, with some of them moving to the Inland Northwest.

We have learned that the US will be getting Syrian numbers on par with the numbers we have taken from Iraq (that would be close to 20,000 a year!), here, so when they say 1,800 above, I’m guessing someone left out a zero.

So far we have had reports that Syrians will go to North Carolina and Ohio.  Add Washington State.

The federal migrant resettlement contractors which we have followed for years:

Michelle Malkin: Letting in the wrong refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Great column today by Michelle Malkin a must read!

***Don’t forget Syrians are next!***

Iraqi refugee, Jasim Mohammed Hasin Ramadon, found guilty of brutal Colorado rape, was helped by US soldier to get into US.

Meanwhile the Washington Post said late yesterday, bring in MORE Iraqis!  (Hat tip: Flying Camel)

From Townhall (hat tip: Judy):

Fresh terror busts in Australia expose a common Achilles’ heel of the West: Indiscriminate refugee policies turn free countries into breeding grounds for jihad. It’s the same game in America. Soldiers of Islam have weaponized our blind generosity against us.

Iraqi terrorists and rapists…

Last fall, FBI agents admitted that several dozen suspected terrorist bomb-builders may have mistakenly been allowed to move to the United States as war refugees from Iraq. These include two al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) jihadists who were resettled as refugees in Bowling Green, Ky. — and then later admitted in court that they had attacked U.S. soldiers in Iraq, according to ABC News.

In Colorado Springs, a gang of Iraqi Muslim refugees monstrously raped and brutalized a woman — after being welcomed here with open arms and, in at least one case, receiving praise and help from U.S. soldiers.

Read it all by clicking here.

See our report on the Colorado Springs rapists, here.

Just last week we gave readers this accounting of how many Iraqis have been admitted to the US since 9/11.

How many Iraqi refugees came to America since 9/11? How are they doing?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

In our earlier post this morning, we reported that the US State Department is going to begin bringing in Syrians (at the UN’s direction) on par with what we have done for Iraqis.  That reminded me that I wanted to pull together the Iraqi resettlement data.

We are on our way, as this fiscal year ends in a few weeks, to 115,000 Iraqis admitted to the US since 9/11.  Approximately 62% are Muslims (71,300).  How do we know?

Recently a reader sent me some numbers for Iraqi refugees from a data base kept by the US State Department that only select people have access to.  It was the data base of religions refugees bring to America.  Our reader said that of 111,854 Iraqis admitted since 2003, 42,137 are Christians. (38%).   I don’t have access to the religion data, but I did want to check the total numbers for myself.

I don’t come up with 111,854 (I get 111,731, but it’s close and we could easily reach 115,000 by the end of the fiscal year).  This information below comes from data tables at the end of Annual Reports to Congress, here.

Iraqi refugees who were ultimately convicted on terrorism charges were arrested in KY and caused a dip in the numbers for 2011.

From 1983-2002:  we resettled 41,549 Iraqis

From fiscal year 2003 to August 31, 2014:

2003:  294

2004:  65

2005:  186

2006:  189

2007:  1,605

2008:  13,775 (this was a George Bush year)

2009:  18,709

2010:  18,016

2011:  9,388  (Assume this dip is because of the Iraqi terrorists arrested in KY which resulted in a federal freak-out and a re-do on the security screening of Iraqis).

2012:  12,233

2013:  19,500

2014 (11 months of the fiscal year): 17,771

Bottom line is that we are approaching 115,000 Iraqis admitted to the US in the last 12 years (the State Dept. and contractors will make a big push this month to hit their targets and so I am guessing they will reach 115,000).

How are they doing? 

See the special section on Iraqi refugees in the 2012 ORR Annual Report to Congress (the most recent data available) beginning on page 110.

Not so hot!

~The overall US unemployment rate that year was 7.6%, the Iraqi unemployment rate was 22.6% (but up from 40% or so in some previous years).

~Of those not looking for work, 33.6% had poor health or disabilities.

~The average hourly wage for Iraqis who were working was $9.79 per hour.

~ORR says that the goal is self-sufficiency in 3 months, but only 21% got their first job in 6 months and welfare continued.

~60% were on Medicaid or Refugee Medical Assistance.

~82% were receiving food stamps.

~58% were receiving some sort of cash assistance.

~36% were getting SSI (Supplemental Security Income).

The report tries to put a happy face on it, but the numbers are abysmal!

Sure looks like we are importing poverty and you can expect the Syrians to be in the same situation when they begin arriving at rates comparable to the Iraqis—from 10,000-20,000 a year!

For ambitious readers, our Iraqi refugee category has 628 previous posts in it.

Update:  About the photo.  The photo we placed in this post this morning disappeared. This is not the first time, that has happened with the official photo of this pair.  Let’s see what happens with this one.

Cleveland Health and Human Services to be challenged this next year with more refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

It looks like Cleveland, Ohio will join the Triad of North Carolina and get some of the thousands of Syrian refugees the UN has chosen for America.

Is it because Welcoming America came to town (to soften them up!)?

From Cleveland.com (Hat tip: ‘pungentpeppers’):

City Councilman Joe Cimperman: “Why can’t Cleveland be that welcoming place.”

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Lead poisoning, women’s reproductive health issues and the hardships of immigrant refugees top the priorities of Cleveland City Council’s Health and Human Services Committee this legislative session.

In an interview Wednesday, city councilman Joe Cimperman said that the committee he chairs is “both perspirational and aspirational,” and while it must oversee the function of the city’s Health Department, it must also set the agenda to meet the needs of Cleveland’s changing social landscape.

This year, Cimperman said, that means anticipating a flood of refugees from Iraq, Syria and other war-torn countries, helping them settle in their new environment and connecting them with healthcare and social services.

“In the next 24 months, we are going to feel the effects of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq for sure,” Cimperman said. “I’m sad that they’re forced to flee their countries, but why can’t Cleveland be that welcoming place?”

Cimperman said the city will hold a Refugee Summit and luncheon on Oct. 30 in the City Hall Rotunda, where city leaders will explore ways to attract and accommodate an immigrant population.

Readers in the Cleveland area should plan to attend the “Refugee Summit.”

There are three preferred communities in Ohio—Cleveland, Columbus and Akron.  To see who is running the refugee program for the federal government in Cleveland go here.

See all of our posts on Syrian refugees by clicking here.