Tag: refugees

Iranian TV calling Mali conflict “the French war on Mali;” blame the French for refugee crisis

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is actually funny if it weren’t so serious.

“French War on Mali increases Refugees,” from Press TV (Official Iranian English language news outlet):

The number of Malian people crossing into neighboring countries goes on to rise amid the French-led war on Mali.

According to reports by the United Nations, over 4,000 Malian refugees have arrived in Mauritania alone since January 11, when France launched a war on Mali under the pretext of halting the advance of fighters in the country.

Just some random fighters?  Not Jihadists trying to control the country?

They go on to tell readers about the terrible plight of refugees created by the FRENCH.

And, why did France launch this war?  To steal the resources of Mali, what else?

Press TV:

Some political analysts believe that Mali’s abandoned natural resources, including gold and uranium reserves, could be one of the reasons behind the French war.

If you missed it last Saturday we reported that a Leftist agitation group in Illinois is already calling for temporary refugee status for Malians already in the US, here.

Mali: Muslim “rebels” creating more refugees on the move in Africa

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here we go again (from StarAfrica.com):

A statement from the UNHCR quoted its spokesperson Melissa Fleming during a news briefing in Geneva on Friday as saying that a further 700 000 people may be displaced by the fresh wave of violence to hit the landlocked West African country as a foreign intervention force engage the rebels who have been in control of northern Mali since April 2012.

“We believe there could be in the near future an additional 300,000 displaced inside Mali and up to 400 000 additional displaced people in neighbouring countries as a result of the unrest” Fleming remarked.

According to her horrific, accounts of amputations and executions have been reported in Islamist-controlled regions of Mali, with claims suggesting that some civilians were being lured with large sums of money to defend the territories from the onslaught by Malian troops backed by French ground forces and airstrikes.

She also said there were reports of children fighting within the ranks of the rebels who continue to put up stiff resistance against intervention forces.

Close to 200, 000 displaced Malians have fled to neighbouring Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Algeria since the conflict began in March 2012 with over 300, 000 more internally displaced.

Will Samantha Power and her “responsibility to protect” get us into this conflict too?

Canada: Supreme Court hearing refugee/war crimes case

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

They are busy, busy, busy in Canada these days with refugee issues.  Yesterday it was the announcement that Canada would take 5000 more Iraqis and Iranians to make Turkey happy, and today the Supreme Court will hear an important case.

Here is the story (from Canada.com):

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada will hear a case Thursday that grapples with how to determine just who is culpable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Rachidi Ekanza Ezokola, a former high-level diplomat with the Democratic Republic of Congo, was originally denied refugee status after he fled to Montreal with his family because he was found to be complicit by association with the crimes committed by the war-torn African country.

It will be the first time since 1999 that the Supreme Court is considering the interpretation of provisions of a United Nations refugee convention that denies refugee status to people who are associated with war crimes and crimes against humanity – provisions upon which hundreds of refugee cases in Canada are decided, said Lorne Waldman, the president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.

Sheesh!  They have a whole Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, I wonder if we have such an association?

Read it all.  The “humanitarians” are on Ezokola’s side, no surprise there.

I bet there are war criminals sprinkled throughout the US refugee population. 

Those two Iraqis convicted of terrorism charges in Kentucky would, in my view, fit the definition.  Oh, but then again, they only killed Americans so that doesn’t count I suppose.

But, this case from New Hampshire of a refugee woman (Beatrice Munyenyezi) charged with lying about her role in genocide in Rwanda is pretty stunning.  We paid for her resettlement and then she cost us millions in court costs for a couple of very expensive trials.  Looks like her next trial, that had been scheduled for last October, will be happening in March? in Concord, NH.

Speaking of “preferred communities,” Erie, PA is to get 600 more refugees in 2013

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The FY 2013 refugee spigot is open and we are beginning to see reports about how many refugees might be coming your way this year.  Obama is aiming for 70,000 new Democrat voters in need of social services for FY 2013.   Yesterday I told you that Erie was a “preferred community” for refugee resettlement and has been for over ten years.

Back in 2008 there was some ‘funny money business’ going on with the International Institute in Erie (an USCRI subcontractor) but they must have gotten their problems solved when they canned the director.  And, they must be over the squabbles there between the resettlement contractors.

Below is the short news story that gives us two bits of information in addition to the notice about the large number of refugees the city is expected to absorb.    First, most are Bhutanese which definitely means we have decided to go beyond the original 60,000 Bush-approved Bhutanese/Nepalis we were taking from camps in Nepal.

And, the second thing you should know is that this demonstrates exactly how your city gets overloaded.  The resettlement contractors, here the International Institute of Erie and Catholic Charities, are paid to process-in the family members of the original seed population they initially resettled.  They are paid by the head so there is an incentive to find more family members to import.

“Welcoming” Erie:

More than 600 refugees will start calling Erie home in 2013.

Erie’s two refugee resettlement agencies, the International Institute of Erie and the local branch of Catholic Charities, expect to serve a total of 650 refugees in the 2013 fiscal year, officials with those agencies said.

The vast majority of the new arrivals will be Bhutanese, coming to Erie by way of refugee camps in Nepal, said Nandu Subedi, resettlement program leader for Catholic Charities in Erie.

The U.S. government approved the entry of Bhutanese refugees in 2007, and they started arriving in Erie in mid-2008, Subedi said. They’ve been arriving steadily every year since, about 600 to 800 annually, he said.

Since the start of the 2013 fiscal year in October, Catholic Charities has settled 49 refugees, all but six of them from Bhutan.

“A lot of their relatives are already settled here and the others like to move to where their friends and family are,” Subedi said.  [And the US taxpayer pays us to accommodate the refugees’ desires and bring in the families, including the old grandmas in need of social security—ed]

IRC needs volunteers (but not at this exact moment) to help refugees navigate the US health care system

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I actually started to write another post this morning also involving refugee health care—mental illness again, but it’s a post requiring some bit of additional work, and I’ve run out of steam today.  So just so you know I’m not on an extended break, this is a quick little post I can throw up here without too much work (or, that is what I thought before I launched!).

It is a VOLUNTEER job announcement from probably the biggest of the federal resettlement contractors—the International Rescue Committee (where its head honcho makes more than Obama makes!).*  It is for a VOLUNTEER job, sort of, at some time in the future, but they want your information now.  Hat tip: FeFe

Remember as you read this that the IRC is so concerned about the issue of tracking your VOLUNTEER hours because they turn those into the feds for cash (for them!) in a “match grant” program.  Cool huh!

Here is the ad for Baltimore, MD (I’ve emphasized the things I don’t want you to miss):

Special Needs Health Volunteer
Sector: Health
Location: US – MD – Baltimore
Employee Type: Volunteer
Employee Category: Part Time

Description

Dear perspective volunteer,
Please note that we are not currently seeking volunteers in this position for the time being. Please consider other volunteer or internship opportunities, and be in touch with any questions.
This is an unpaid volunteer position. [in case you haven’t gotten that message yet—ed]

Purpose: Special Needs Health Volunteers are paired up with refugees and asylees who have specific health needs which may inhibit their ability to become self-sufficient in their new environment. Health concerns of clients in this category may include: disabilities, mental illness, pregnancy, severe hypertension, TB, and malnutrition. Health volunteers will provide one-on-one follow-up and counseling in order to help clients navigate the US healthcare system, ensure quality care for the client, and provide basic health education.  [Did you know we are taking TB refugee cases?—ed]

Possible Responsibilities [Does anyone do this for poverty-stricken Americans?—ed]

• Provide consistent follow-up care for special health needs of clients
• Help clients to find health resources which best meet their needs
• As needed, help clients make medical appointments
• As needed, accompany clients to medical appointments
• Ensure clients understand treatment instructions
• As appropriate, provide basic preventative health counseling
• Ensure clients are receiving quality and dignified healthcare

IRC HEALTH VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS [Did we mention this was a volunteer job?—ed]

High level of cultural sensitivity
Commitment of at least four months of volunteering, 1-5 hours per week
Agreement to background check and background check fee (no more than $18.50)
Participation in health volunteer orientation and training
Diligence in keeping track of volunteer hours and communication with IRC staff through volunteer time  [The IRC must get its payment from the federal government for YOUR volunteer time.—ed]

IRC HEALTH VOLUNTEER PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Work and/or educational experience in public health, nursing, health services, international health, or other health-related field
Ability to follow-through with long-term, detail-oriented projects

If you are interested, please contactkafiya.ismail@rescue.org.

IRC leading the way from harm to home. [cute, huh!—ed]
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

* Now check it out!  The IRC (which wants your nursing services for free) is a $431 million dollar organization which gets $247 million from YOU, the taxpayer (page 9 of their most recent Form 990, here).  And, guess where you have to go to find out the salaries being paid at the IRC?  Page 254 of their 299-page Form 990.  George Rupp, their head honcho makes a cool $447,432 in salary and benefits which beats Obama’s $400,000 salary!

It’s called doing well by doing good!  Maybe Rupp should be required to handle the TB patients!