Tag: Iranian refugees

John McCain: Move Iranian dissidents from Iraq to the US

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Just for your information…..

John McCain: They can live with me. I have some extra homes to share! (Not)

From the National Council of Resistance of Iran:

U.S. Senator John McCain sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday to raise concerns about Iranian opposition members in Camp Liberty, Iraq, whose lives are increasingly at risk as the security situation in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, continues to deteriorate.

The letter published in Senator McCain website states:

“I am writing you to follow-up on the response I received in August to my previous letter concerning the ongoing refugee resettlement process and to discuss my continuing concerns about the residents of Camp Liberty,” writes Senator John McCain.

“As you are aware, due to the increasingly dangerous threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the resettlement process has stalled, and many fear that the people at Camp Liberty could be at grave risk if the security situation in Iraq, and especially in Baghdad, continues to deteriorate.

“For this reason, the Administration must move more quickly to find safe, permanent, and secure locations for Camp Liberty residents outside Iraq. I was encouraged to hear about Albania’s willingness to temporarily host some Camp Liberty residents for purposes of identifying individuals for relocation to the United States.

Although we might have sympathy for the dissidents’ plight, is it our job to take in the squabbling factions from the Middle East?  Just asking!

McCain’s press release is here.

And, by the way, where is Obama pal Samantha Power and her doctrine—the Responsibility to Protect?  And, come to think of it, why can’t the UN protect them?

Iranian granted refugee status in US, leaves, looks for asylum in Europe

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

It’s just not like what you envision refugees do.  We have this notion, based on puff-pieces written in the mainstream media, that refugees come to America or are granted asylum, are eternally grateful, work their butts off and settle into American life.  Actually, LOL! readers here at RRW might not have that vision, but the average American does.  So, this little bit in the middle of another story about the Iranian rights activists (the supposed good guys) bopping back and forth to Turkey was informative.

Kouhyar Goodarzi

The article in Euronews is about a blogger, described as a human rights activist, Kouhyar Goodarzi, who is expecting to be granted asylum in the US.

He has been a refugee since the winter, and is waiting for his request for asylum, lodged with the UN High Commission for Refugees, to be accepted.

[….]

Kouhyar intends to rebuild his nest in the United States after his asylum application has been accepted.

And, he plans to keep up his activism from “his nest” in America!

Expelled from university in Tehran where he was studying aeronautics, he wants to continue his studies and, while pursuing his professional activities, keep up his activism.

Not a client of the Asylumist (Jason Dzubow) I hope!

Then there is his friend, Hossein Salmanzadeh, who had already been a refugee in the US, didn’t like it (says he couldn’t find work) who hopped on back to Turkey and is now shopping for asylum in Europe.   This does not pass the smell test!

Hossein Salmanzadeh took the first pictures of his friend Kouhyar Goodarzi upon his arrival in Ankara.

A former photographer for the national Iranian news agency, Fars, Salmanzadeh fled four years ago, after being accused of selling photographs of post-electoral events in 2009 to foreign media.

“The government can punish me, or maybe kill me. Because the government said you are a spy, a Mossad spy, a CIA spy. Because you send pictures to other agencies. Sometimes I get a message ‘you can come back. You will only, have to go to jail for one week, do an interview on TV then you can have a good and enjoyable life’. I can’t do it!”

Salmanzadeh was a refugee once in the United States, but he could not find work. Having returned to Turkey, he hopes to be given asylum in Europe. [So how persecuted was he?—-ed]

Turkey only provides temporary refugee status to non-European asylum seekers, relying on the UNHCR to organise their transit to a third country.

Fishy story all around!

Canada: We will take another 5000 Iraqis and Iranians from Turkey, chosen by UN

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

To ease the burden on poor Turkey!  Oh brother!

From Canadavisa.com:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced plans to resettle up to 5,000 Iranian and Iraqi refugees, presently in Turkey, by 2018. Citing “escalating violence in the region,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney outlined his government’s intention to “help Turkey deal with this growing pressure.” He also commended the government of Turkey “for keeping her borders open to those fleeing the ongoing conflict in the region.”

It is expected that this undertaking will help ease the existing burden on Turkey, freeing up the Turkish government’s resources to deal with the current influx of Syrians seeking protection in the country. [Watch for it!  Canada will eventually be taking the Syrians too—ed]

Minister Kenney reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to its 2009 and 2010 pledges of resettling 20,000 Iraqi refugees. To date, it has resettled 12,000, most of them from Syria. 

Most of the refugees will be referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for resettlement.

Canada is one of a few countries operating a resettlement program out of Turkey, and is second only to the United States as a destination for refugees from the region.