Illegal aliens become refugees–again!

09/13/2007 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here we go again, every modern country in the world is struggling with the illegal alien issue. Unfortunately, advocates of open borders everywhere have turned illegals magically into asylum seekers and refugees. Where we have illegal aliens flooding across our southern border by foot, the Australians have them coming by boat from everywhere.

In the most recent flap, Sri Lankans that had attempted to enter Australia illegally are kept at a detention facility on the island of Nauru until they can be sorted out. Now 72 have been granted “refugee” status. But, guess what? There have been suggestions that Australia pass them off to the United States! By the way, the United States takes the largest share of refugees in the world.

“Australia is now exploring resettlement options in other countries for the Sri Lankans that have been assessed as being refugees,” he said.

——–

Mr Andrews (Immigration Minister) played down suggestions the Sri Lankans could be sent to the US under a refugee exchange deal agreed to in April between Canberra and Washington.

I think the American public assumes refugees are families that have lived for long periods in squalid refugee camps, not men in boats who try to break into other countries. See our earlier post about Malta’s illegal aliens being sent here as refugees.

Iraqi Refugees headed to Denver and to a city near you

09/10/2007 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This afternoon, just as General Petraeus is telling Congress that things are looking up in Iraq, I see the Denver Post is reporting on 1400 Iraqis on their way to the US as refugees. The article is your typical story with accounts of injured translators used as the reason we must bring 12,000 Iraqis here by next year. You can bet all 12,000 are not injured scared translators. Echoing one of my concerns:

I don’t trust the (government) to vet them correctly,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.

And another:

We’re directly affected by what’s happening in Iraq and the rest of the world. … I’d like to see what tangible we can do to help fulfill our moral obligations,” said Colorado state Rep. Joe Rice, a Democrat who served as a civil affairs soldier in Iraq and hears regularly from Iraqis wanting out.

But Rice said he’s also deeply conflicted. Many of those fleeing Iraq “are the very people who are needed to try to stabilize things, to build a new society there,” he said.

“If all the good people leave, who’s left to build a new society?”

We need to set up a safe refugee camp in the region, perhaps in Kuwait, and take care of people until the country is stabilized and they can return home to rebuild Iraq. While our soldiers are fighting and dying for their country, we don’t need to bring thousands of Iraqis here to live on welfare.

Can a double bed be a substitute for home?

07/30/2007 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The subject of Refugee Resettlement generates many stories–daily stories–about the little joys refugees experience in our wonderful America. Every one of those stories highlight some caring and enlightened American who gives of him or herself by purchasing or donating some material item to make life easy. This story today in the Lincoln Star about Burmese Karen arriving in Nebraska caught my eye.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/07/28/news/local/doc46aaa04f6ae92618087560.txt

Sara Pipher had been to the camps in Thailand and was moved to collect $300 from friends and family to buy a double bed for a soon to arrive refugee family, something that would make any of us feel all warm and fuzzy. I don’t mean to diminish the gift, but as the Burmese Karen people are scattered like the four winds across the United States, can she give them something they had together?

Pipher said she was impressed by the amazing closeness among friends and families in the camps.

. . .

And in the Karen culture there is a real emphasis on the extended family and on respect for elders and embracing the wisdom of the elder generation, Pipher said.

There won’t be an extended family in America. I wonder at the wisdom of our do-good policies that cause us to rush around the world rescuing people whenever there is strife or a civil war in some region.

The fact that the refugees are arriving in Lincoln brought to mind our Civil War. Imagine if tens of thousands of the brightest Northerners and Southerners had just been wisked off to Europe never to return, would America, as a re-united nation, have been diminished. I think so.

Maybe it’s our own material need for instant comfort, for things to be easy, that makes us rush in wishing to save people. Fortunately, some people still have common sense, dignity, and a spirit and desire to achieve their destiny on the continent of their birth. In Africa the Liberians are returning home under banners that proclaim:

LIBERIA CAN ONLY BE BUILT BY LIBERIANS THEMSELVES

…

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. ITS TIME TO COME BACK HOME TO REBUILD OUR MOTHERLAND LIBERIA

According to an article in AllAfrica.com on July 24th, over 100,000 refugees are headed home.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200707270743.html

The lady from NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council) is wearing a T-shirt with the map of Liberia on the front, and the words Theres No Place Like Home.

In Rwanda they are returning home too. http://allafrica.com/stories/200707300120.html

But sadly, in Nepal, the Bhutanese may never return home because the US has agreed to resettle 60,000 refugees. http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/jul/jul27/news13.php

Writing in the Weekly Telegraph of Nepal, July 31, 2007 (tomorrow!) Niraj Ayal suggests it would be better to stay together in Nepal with the hope of one day going home:

Better let them stay here; Let them make their homes here! Let us live together with our brothers and sisters!; Let them forget Bhutan, make our future together and one day the easterly wind might bring the smell of their soil here.

Here they come: Malta’s illegal immigrants

07/26/2007 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is an update of our Malta post of July 16th. This from Malta Media News today:

200 refugees in Malta will soon be heading towards the United States of America (USA), as the details of a selection process for the resettlement of refugees are in their final stages.

This development, unveiled by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Ambassador to the USA Molly Bordonaro on Thursday, follows May’s announcement that the USA government would resettle 200 refugees to help ease Malta’s illegal immigration burdens.

These are not refugees, these are Malta’s illegal aliens from North Africa who have attempted to get to European countries farther north, but only got as far as Malta. Its like Mexico asking us to take some of their illegals from El Salvador who just never quite made it to Texas.

I wonder if we could work a deal. We take 200 of their illegals and they take 200 of ours!

Burundis go to Burlington

07/24/2007 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Your tax dollars:

The Burlington Free Press reported today that more refugees are expected in Vermont soon.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/NEWS01/707240313

(just checked this link – Oct. 11, 2007 – and it doesn’t work anymore, sorry)

About 20 Burundi refugees from camps in Tanzania have arrived in the Burlington area, and an additional 100 refugees could arrive in the coming months.

…….

The largest refugee groups to come to Vermont in recent years are Somali Bantu, who resettled mostly in the Burlington area, and Meshketian Turks, who settled primarily in Barre and Waterbury. Under the resettlement program, refugees receive cash assistance while they get settled, as well as English lessons and help finding jobs and housing. They are also free to apply for welfare and public housing assistance.

……

Many of Chittenden County’s refugees live in Burlington and Winooski because the two municipalities are home to much of the county’s publicly subsidized housing and private market rental stock. Because of the housing patterns, Burlington and Winooski public schools educate the lion’s share of refugee children in the county.