Another good Register column:
Are we so afraid of Islamic jihadists that we refuse to protect their victims?
Terry Branstad, other governors and several Republican presidential candidates are slamming the door on Syrian refugees, the victims of ISIS. Branstad said Monday that if the federal government places Syrian refugees in Iowa, the state will deny them services, such as help finding employment or housing.
How’s that for a welcome mat? Sounds like a great way to make someone your enemy.
The U.S. has agreed to take 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year. The U.N. refugee agency has said those include the most vulnerable, such as single mothers and their children, victims of torture, people with medical needs and Syrians who have worked with Americans.
Set aside, for a moment, the moral implications of blocking Syrian refugees, or any legal concerns. (International law gives anyone fleeing persecution or torture the right to seek asylum.)
Instead, take a deep breath and ask yourself: If someone wanted to enter the U.S. to cause havoc, would he go through an 18- to 24-month process with a high likelihood of rejection? Or would he try to slip over a porous border?
“There are so many faster ways to get here than through the resettlement process,” said Carly Ross, director of the Des Moines office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. “A terrorist is unlikely to be that patient.”
Ross said her Iowa office has no Syrian refugees in the pipeline. The group has helped resettle refugees from Asia and the Middle East, including Muslims from Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.
Ross helped screen asylum seekers at a U.S. resettlement center in East Africa. Applicants go through a 13-step process that includes face-to-face interviews, background checks and security clearances by multiple agencies, medical screenings and cultural orientation sessions.
“You have to repeat information over and over again,” Ross said.
This is not Greece. We’re not talking about someone giving a fake name as a crush of people cross a border.
Granted, U.S. law enforcement officials say they lack intelligence on the Syrian refugee population. Caution is wise, but overreaction is not.
Much of America is in the grips of Islamophobia, which is clearly driving some of this overreaction and ignorance. Such intolerance will further turn potential friends against us.
The U.S. already has an abysmal record of helping refugees from the Middle East. We have not fulfilled our obligation to help translators, contractors or others who helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan or Iraq; only a fraction have gained admission to the U.S. and remain vulnerable to reprisals.
Iowa’s legacy of helping refugees has also been tarnished due to government cutbacks.
In July, Branstad vetoed $100,000 in funding for a pilot program to help refugees navigate health care services. Other bills to help immigrants — including more interpreters for legal proceedings and more funds for English-language instruction — died in the last legislative session.
Refugees have made Iowa a more vibrant place, culturally and economically, as did our immigrant forebears. It’s in everyone’s best interest to ensure immigrants’ transition is as smooth as possible.
That’s why it’s strategically wise, not just morally right, to help Syrian refugees. That’s why our Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst should support a bill to provide $1 billion in assistance to the State Department to respond to the refugee crisis. The bill is co-sponsored by a Republican presidential candidate, Lindsey Graham.
Such funding can also help the U.S. shore up any gaps in screening the refugees.
These Syrians have been terrorized by extremists. It’s unlikely they will ever be able to return home. Welcoming them — and showing them how America triumphs over fear and terrorism — is the most effective weapon to defeat ISIS.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...orial-how-make-refugees-our-enemies/75919316/
Are we so afraid of Islamic jihadists that we refuse to protect their victims?
Terry Branstad, other governors and several Republican presidential candidates are slamming the door on Syrian refugees, the victims of ISIS. Branstad said Monday that if the federal government places Syrian refugees in Iowa, the state will deny them services, such as help finding employment or housing.
How’s that for a welcome mat? Sounds like a great way to make someone your enemy.
The U.S. has agreed to take 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year. The U.N. refugee agency has said those include the most vulnerable, such as single mothers and their children, victims of torture, people with medical needs and Syrians who have worked with Americans.
Set aside, for a moment, the moral implications of blocking Syrian refugees, or any legal concerns. (International law gives anyone fleeing persecution or torture the right to seek asylum.)
Instead, take a deep breath and ask yourself: If someone wanted to enter the U.S. to cause havoc, would he go through an 18- to 24-month process with a high likelihood of rejection? Or would he try to slip over a porous border?
“There are so many faster ways to get here than through the resettlement process,” said Carly Ross, director of the Des Moines office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. “A terrorist is unlikely to be that patient.”
Ross said her Iowa office has no Syrian refugees in the pipeline. The group has helped resettle refugees from Asia and the Middle East, including Muslims from Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.
Ross helped screen asylum seekers at a U.S. resettlement center in East Africa. Applicants go through a 13-step process that includes face-to-face interviews, background checks and security clearances by multiple agencies, medical screenings and cultural orientation sessions.
“You have to repeat information over and over again,” Ross said.
This is not Greece. We’re not talking about someone giving a fake name as a crush of people cross a border.
Granted, U.S. law enforcement officials say they lack intelligence on the Syrian refugee population. Caution is wise, but overreaction is not.
Much of America is in the grips of Islamophobia, which is clearly driving some of this overreaction and ignorance. Such intolerance will further turn potential friends against us.
The U.S. already has an abysmal record of helping refugees from the Middle East. We have not fulfilled our obligation to help translators, contractors or others who helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan or Iraq; only a fraction have gained admission to the U.S. and remain vulnerable to reprisals.
Iowa’s legacy of helping refugees has also been tarnished due to government cutbacks.
In July, Branstad vetoed $100,000 in funding for a pilot program to help refugees navigate health care services. Other bills to help immigrants — including more interpreters for legal proceedings and more funds for English-language instruction — died in the last legislative session.
Refugees have made Iowa a more vibrant place, culturally and economically, as did our immigrant forebears. It’s in everyone’s best interest to ensure immigrants’ transition is as smooth as possible.
That’s why it’s strategically wise, not just morally right, to help Syrian refugees. That’s why our Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst should support a bill to provide $1 billion in assistance to the State Department to respond to the refugee crisis. The bill is co-sponsored by a Republican presidential candidate, Lindsey Graham.
Such funding can also help the U.S. shore up any gaps in screening the refugees.
These Syrians have been terrorized by extremists. It’s unlikely they will ever be able to return home. Welcoming them — and showing them how America triumphs over fear and terrorism — is the most effective weapon to defeat ISIS.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...orial-how-make-refugees-our-enemies/75919316/
