“Given such high stakes, and the reports of abuses, the U.S. government might want to reconsider the whole resettlement referral system put in place by UNHCR.”
(Nayla Rush, Center for Immigration Studies)
That is the conclusion that Nayla Rush at the Center for Immigration Studies comes to after doing a deep dive into that recent NBC investigation about fraud and corruption within the United Nations as it does the first sorting-out of potential refugees for America.
See my report here about what NBC found.
What Rush prescribes is exactly what the Trump Administration should have been doing from day one—REFORMING the entire system of refugee resettlement that begins in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East when a wannabe refugee first registers with the UN for permanent resettlement.
Rush’s report (published yesterday) is here and this is her wrap-up (emphasis is mine),
UNHCR Corruption: Resettlement Spots for a Price
The United States is entrusting the local staff of UNHCR with the selection of refugees eligible for resettlement in the United States, and entrusting the RSC staff with pre-screening and preparation of case files for resettlement applicants. We don’t know much about these men and women the U.S. government believes possess the exceptional good judgment, expertise, and integrity needed to make refugee determinations and resettlement referrals. But we do know that most work in difficult conditions and are citizens of unsettled countries where corruption is at times deemed an acceptable, even necessary, means of survival.
Let’s not forget that resettlement is one of UNHCR’s “durable solutions”. Resettled refugees are required by law “to apply for a green card (permanent residence) in the United States one year after being admitted as a refugee”.18 They can apply for citizenship four years later (not five, as the five-year count for refugees starts on the day of arrival). From this perspective, a resettlement card gives access to citizenship. UNHCR staff are, in a way, deciding not only who can move to the United States, they are also choosing who will have the opportunity to become an American. Given such high stakes, and the reports of abuses, the U.S. government might want to reconsider the whole resettlement referral system put in place by UNHCR.
If “vulnerability” is no longer the key to selecting refugees for resettlement, does that mean bribery is?
Read it all here.
For the umpteenth time, Trump did a good job slowing the flow to America especially from countries that have been Islamic terror-producing hot spots. (BTW, Rohingya Muslim arrivals are coming at a fast pace.)
However, the entire flawed system is still firmly in place to be refueled with more of your tax dollars the minute Trump is no longer in the White House.
Maddening!
