I think we are seeing a major trend developing where it seems that Democrats are more willing to say NO! to refugees while some Republicans fear mentioning the word, or as in the case of Grover Norquist and his Republican pals are actually pushing for more refugees in America!
Democratic candidate Justin Kuhnle: Take care of our people first! Photo: http://teapartycheer.com/bios/midwest/indiana/justin-kuhnle-in-bio/
Just yesterday we posted the World Net Dailystory about mayors across the country questioning refugee resettlement and most of the mayors with guts are Democrats also, go figure!
From the News-Sentinel reporting on a Congressional candidate debate for the 3rd District of Indiana:
In a follow-up question [about Syria—ed] Kuhnle was asked, given northeast Indiana’s welcome of refugees in the past, should we welcome Syrian refugees here as well.
Kuhnle, who has some background in social work gave a surprising answer for a Democratic candidate.
“I would be hard pressed to accept that.” he said, adding “When we look at the needs of what northern Indiana has it can’t continue that open door policy. We must look to the need of our own citizens first.“
Kuhnle suggested it would be better to help them, in Syria.
This Congressional district in Indiana includes Ft. Wayne so that helps explain the answer. We have an extensive archive on Ft. Wayne going back for seven years—the US State Department and its contractors have swamped the city with needy Burmese refugees.
Speaking in the United Arab Emirates (of all places), Socialist UN High Commissioner for Refugees admonishes European nations (again)—allow more Syrian refugees into your countries!
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Guterres never demands that rich Arab countries take in their fellow Muslim refugees!
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The head of the United Nations refugee agency on Wednesday urged countries, particularly in Europe, to review their laws to allow entry to more Syrians fleeing their country’s civil war.
Antonio Guterres said on the sidelines of a conference in the United Arab Emirates that a refugee crisis across the Middle East is a global security threat. He urged more legal avenues for Syrian refugees to resettle in Europe, and avoid risking their lives with smugglers.
“This is not only the worst humanitarian crisis in the last decades, it is also the biggest threat to regional peace and security,” he said. “It’s a global threat.”
Blah, Blah, Blah…
Then near the end. Remember that some wealthy Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, TAKE NO REFUGEES:
The conference was hosted by Sharjah ruler Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi and his wife Sheikha Jawaher.
The United Arab Emirates, along with the five other energy-rich nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have been criticized by rights groups for not opening their borders to refugees from the myriad of conflicts across the region.
Guterres said he is calling on all countries, everywhere, to do more. [Maybe, but it is Europe, the US, Canada and Australia he chastises on a regular basis!—ed]
Is Guterres too chicken or is his goal to help spread the Muslim population worldwide?
End note: RRW will be taking a break beginning today after we post a few more stories. Be back on October 20th and will be able to post your comments then.
Martin Patzelt with Angela Merkel: Even the UN likes the plan
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Citizens in Germany, one of the most sought-after destinations for refugees, should be allowed to host asylum seekers in their homes to ease the pressure on the government to provide adequate housing for them, a politician said on Friday.
Martin Patzelt, a lawmaker and member of the Christian Democratic Union, said households should be permitted to provide free lodging to refugees, leaving only the cost of living and healthcare to the government.
He said the measure would save Germany a considerable amount of money housing refugees, and provide an alternative to crowded temporary shelters, hotels and unused gyms.
Germany, the European Union’s biggest economy, is one of the world’s top destinations for people fleeing oppression and war.
It had 65,700 new asylum claims in the first half of the year, the largest number among industrialized nations, mainly due to a rise in applications by Syrians, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Here is my view:
I think they should do it. I think if the responsibility of the whole refugee program were placed back in the hands of those willing to put their own money (and comfort) on the line, we would all find out very quickly what the capacity is for a community or country to “welcome” refugees. In fact, if I were in charge I would require the whole US resettlement program to be run with private charity, with private sponsors (as it was prior to Ted and Joe and Jimmy creating the program we have today in 1980 which has only one incentive—bring in more!).
Of course Patzelt is talking about citizens taking in refugees in addition to the German government housing others. I don’t follow the economic news much, but wasn’t some of the volatility in the US stock market this week a result of some shaky German economic news—could the massive welfare Germany is providing migrants be pulling the country down?
In my plan, the number of sponsors would dictate the capacity for caring for the country—Germany or ours.
Our Syrian refugee alerts are overflowing as usual, so I thought perhaps I should occasionally report the hottest issues. Here are a few stories today:
President Jose Mujica greeted the refugees in person after their two-day journey. The Uruguayan resettlement plan is unprecedented in Latin America. http://omnifeed.com/article/www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-29561681
First, the possible fall of Kobani to ISIS is sending the biggest tidal wave of refugees toward Turkey (which will surely further destabilize that country).
From Syria Deeply entitled: ‘180,000 Refugees from Kobani Mark the Biggest Displacement in the Biggest Refugee Crisis, Ever’
Since the ISIS advance on Kobani, the Turkish government and aid agencies have been struggling to respond to the influx of more than 180,000 Syrian refugees into southern Turkey
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the Syrian Kurdish border town of Kobani was “about to fall to ISIS.” Since the advance on Kobani, the Turkish government and aid agencies have been struggling to respond to the influx of more than 180,000 Syrian refugees into southern Turkey. The sudden, massive flow of refugees fleeing ISIS is the largest displacement in the Syrian conflict.
Humanitarian groups project that there will be 3.59 million Syrian refugees by December 2014, with annual budget requirements of US$3.74 billion (56% of which remains unfunded). For UNHCR, the Syria operation is now the largest in its 64-year history.
Just a reminder for new readers, the US State Department says we are going to take thousands of refugees from Turkey, here.
The UNHCR wants foreign aid for Greece so it can cope with Syrian and Somali migrants arriving by the thousands
UNHCR officials in Greece called for the European Union countries to support Greece as many refugees are in that country.
Joorjoos Tasabobulos is UNHCR official in Greece. He said the number of fleeing refugees coming to the Greek islands of Agenee K/bari, Agen and Dodeshense is on the increase. He said in the first eight months of this year, 22,089 refugees of which 65% are Syrians have arrived there whereas other refugees included Somalis, Eritreans and Afghans.
Elsewhere refugees numbering 140,000 from Somalia, Eritrea, Syria and Sudan arrived in Italy but Italy lacks resources to manage them.
See our series on the ‘invasion of Europe’ by clickinghere.
Uruguay takes Syrian refugees.
You would think this was the most important item in the Syrian refugee news today based on the number of stories the news has generated.
A small number of Syrian refugees have arrived in Uruguay from Lebanon.
Forty-two refugees, belonging to five families, were greeted on arrival by the Uruguayan President, Jose Mujica.
They will spend two months in accommodation near the capital Montevideo where they will learn Spanish and attend classes on local customs.***
Other Latin American countries have taken Syrians in but Uruguay is the first to assume all resettlement costs.
Officials say the two-year resettlement programme will cost Uruguay around $3m (£1.9m).
They say the adults have already been guaranteed jobs and the children have places in local school. A second group is due to arrive next year.
*** Note this huge difference in how these refugees will be assimilated—in a center for a few months to learn the language and customs! In the US they are just deposited in cities and urged to be on their own, to be “self-sufficient” in three months.
Click here for all Syrian refugee posts archived at RRW.
Remember readers that in certain European countries, Syrian (and presumably others recognized for asylum status) are sometimes limited in how long they stay. It is expected that when the conflict ends they will go home!
In the US, successful asylum seekers stay for life as do refugees resettled at the UN’s request. We do have a Temporary Protected Status program for certain people who are supposed to only stay until their country is stable, but as you know they never leave (and are just waiting for the Obama amnesty to make them completely legal).
Denmark has additional problems as a number of their Muslim youths are fighting with ISIS. http://www.biennews.com/denmark-has-more-fighters-in-syria-than-the-u-s/
Here is some news from Denmark. I was especially interested in an earlier story about how Denmark fears the huge migrant influx that could come from Sweden in the not-so-distant future!
Hoping to stem the tide of refugees from Syria, the government will now only allow for family reunifications if refugees’ initial one-year resident permit is renewed.
As a follow-up to its decision to introduce a new temporary residence permit for asylum seekers, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday that refugees fleeing civil wars like the one in Syria will only be able to bring their family members into the country if their original one-year resident permit is extended under the new rules. As a follow-up to its decision to introduce a new temporary residence permit for asylum seekers, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday that refugees fleeing civil wars like the one in Syria will only be able to bring their family members into the country if their original one-year resident permit is extended under the new rules.
“There are major consequences and costs associated with moving an entire family to Denmark. Therefore, that should only happen if there is the prospect of remaining in Denmark for a certain duration. But if the conflict [in a refugee’s home country, ed.] drags on and the stay is extended, then it is reasonable to bring one’s spouse and children to Denmark,” the justice minister, Karen Hækkerup, said in a press release.
Hækkerup announced the new one-year residence permits in September as a way for Denmark to deal with the record influx of asylum seekers.
Denmark worried about what deal with Sweden could do to Denmark!
As Sweden prepares to go to the polls on Sunday, that country’s immigration and asylum policies are creating debate in Denmark.
With Sweden taking in a record number of asylum seekers – 340,000 are expected over the next four years – Danish politicians are warning of the negative impact the influx could have on Denmark.
“The many Syrians who are coming to Sweden as refugees will become Swedish citizens in a matter of a few years. And with the agreements we have among the Nordic nations, there is nothing to stop them from then immediately moving to Denmark – without a Danish residence permit – and receiving welfare benefits from day one. It is a big danger,” Søren Espersen of the Danish People’s Party told Berlingske.
Espersen called on the Danish government to express “Danish concerns about the completely excessive immigration underway in Sweden” to their Swedish colleagues.
These deals, especially the EU deals that strip countries of their sovereignty, are going to be the death of them all.
See our whole ‘invasion of Europe’ series byclicking here.
