USCIRF Chairman Robert George said the commission, an independent statutory body that advises the executive and legislative branches, “calls on the United States to prioritize the resettlement of Syrian refugees based on their vulnerability.” “Throughout the region, Christians and members of some other religious minority communities have been targeted by ISIL for persecution – and in some cases genocide – because of their faith,” he said. “At the same time, we recognize that ISIL has also targeted both Shia and Sunni Muslims who have resisted their violent ideology,” George added. “In these instances, religion, as an important factor in determining vulnerability, may legitimately be taken into account in the prioritization process.”
Syrian women wait to collect aid from relief agencies in the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal
The USCIRF reiterated its support for the ongoing resettling of Syrian refugees in the U.S. “The United States must continue to live up to our nation's core values which are reflected in our leadership in resettling vulnerable refugees,” said George. “That responsibility starts with a generous policy of admitting those Syrian refugees to the United States who are vulnerable to the most horrific mistreatment – including murder, rape, torture, and enslavement.”
He said the commission recognizes the threat ISIS poses to the U.S. but added that it was “important to underscore that individuals seeking resettlement as refugees are among the most carefully vetted people to enter our country.” “This rigorous individualized vetting allows the United States to both welcome Syrian refugees and protect security.” Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities have often been particularly targeted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) and other jihadist groups in the war zone.
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Thirty-nine percent of Syrians who said they want to leave Syria named a country in Europe as the place they would like to go. That made Europe the most popular destination for Syrians who would like to permanently leave their country. The Middle East and North Africa was the second most popular destination for Syrians who would like to permanently leave their country. Thirty-five percent of those who said they wanted to leave Syria named a country in one of those regions as they place they would like to go. Only 6 percent of the Syrians who said they would like to permanently move out of Syria named the United States or Canada as the place they would like to go. In January 2015, Gallup interviewed 1,002 Syrians who were 15 years old and older. Gallup asked them face-to-face this question: “Ideally, if you had the opportunity, would you like to move permanently to another country, or would you prefer to continue living in this country?” Gallup also asked this question among those who responded that they would like to permanently leave Syria: “If you would like to move to a new country, which country would you move to?”
Syrian refugees passing over a fence at the Turkish-Syrian border
As recently as 2009, 75 percent of Syrians surveyed told Gallup they would like to continue living in Syria. That year, only 22 percent said they would like to permanently move to another country. “Although Gallup surveys since 2007 have shown that the U.S. is the top desired destination for potential migrants worldwide and that Northern America (which includes the U.S. and Canada) is the most desired region, only 6% of potential migrants in Syria desired to migrate to either of these areas,” Gallup said in its analysis of the survey. “While nearly half of Syrians would like to leave their country, if given the opportunity, this does not mean all of them will,” says Gallup in its analysis. “Gallup's findings reflect people's desires rather than their intentions--but the implications are still serious. Contrary to other research Gallup has done on migration, demographic characteristics such as employment, income level and age do not seem to factor in to whether Syrians wish to leave the country.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 4,288,910 Syrians have left their country and registered with the UNHCR as refugees. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that as of October there were 6.5 million “people internally displaced by violence” in Syria. The UNHCR says that between April 2011 and October 2015, 689,365 Syrians applied for asylum in European nations. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has estimated that the population of Syria was 21,533,000 in 2010. As of July, according to an estimate published in the CIA World Factbook, it was 17,064,854. The civil war in Syria began in March 2011.
Gallup: Only 30% of Syrians Still Want to Live in Syria
Granny says, "Dat's right - only take inna good refugees - the ones dat wanna quit bein' Mooslums and come to Jesus...
Religious Freedom Watchdog: Prioritize Syrian Refugees Targeted for Religious Reasons
December 2, 2015 – The United States should prioritize the resettlement of Syrian refugees “based on their vulnerability,” the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said Tuesday. He noted that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) has targeted religious minorities for persecution.
USCIRF Chairman Robert George said the commission, an independent statutory body that advises the executive and legislative branches, “calls on the United States to prioritize the resettlement of Syrian refugees based on their vulnerability.” “Throughout the region, Christians and members of some other religious minority communities have been targeted by ISIL for persecution – and in some cases genocide – because of their faith,” he said. “At the same time, we recognize that ISIL has also targeted both Shia and Sunni Muslims who have resisted their violent ideology,” George added. “In these instances, religion, as an important factor in determining vulnerability, may legitimately be taken into account in the prioritization process.”
Syrian women wait to collect aid from relief agencies in the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal
The USCIRF reiterated its support for the ongoing resettling of Syrian refugees in the U.S. “The United States must continue to live up to our nation's core values which are reflected in our leadership in resettling vulnerable refugees,” said George. “That responsibility starts with a generous policy of admitting those Syrian refugees to the United States who are vulnerable to the most horrific mistreatment – including murder, rape, torture, and enslavement.”
He said the commission recognizes the threat ISIS poses to the U.S. but added that it was “important to underscore that individuals seeking resettlement as refugees are among the most carefully vetted people to enter our country.” “This rigorous individualized vetting allows the United States to both welcome Syrian refugees and protect security.” Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities have often been particularly targeted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) and other jihadist groups in the war zone.
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Gallup: Only 30% of Syrians Still Want to Live in Syria
December 2, 2015 - Only 30 percent of Syrians said they would like to continue living in Syria, according to a Gallup survey that was conducted in Syria in January and published this week. Another 46 percent of Syrians said they would like to permanently move to another country and 24 percent said they “don’t know” whether they would like to permanently move or stay.
Thirty-nine percent of Syrians who said they want to leave Syria named a country in Europe as the place they would like to go. That made Europe the most popular destination for Syrians who would like to permanently leave their country. The Middle East and North Africa was the second most popular destination for Syrians who would like to permanently leave their country. Thirty-five percent of those who said they wanted to leave Syria named a country in one of those regions as they place they would like to go. Only 6 percent of the Syrians who said they would like to permanently move out of Syria named the United States or Canada as the place they would like to go. In January 2015, Gallup interviewed 1,002 Syrians who were 15 years old and older. Gallup asked them face-to-face this question: “Ideally, if you had the opportunity, would you like to move permanently to another country, or would you prefer to continue living in this country?” Gallup also asked this question among those who responded that they would like to permanently leave Syria: “If you would like to move to a new country, which country would you move to?”
Syrian refugees passing over a fence at the Turkish-Syrian border
As recently as 2009, 75 percent of Syrians surveyed told Gallup they would like to continue living in Syria. That year, only 22 percent said they would like to permanently move to another country. “Although Gallup surveys since 2007 have shown that the U.S. is the top desired destination for potential migrants worldwide and that Northern America (which includes the U.S. and Canada) is the most desired region, only 6% of potential migrants in Syria desired to migrate to either of these areas,” Gallup said in its analysis of the survey. “While nearly half of Syrians would like to leave their country, if given the opportunity, this does not mean all of them will,” says Gallup in its analysis. “Gallup's findings reflect people's desires rather than their intentions--but the implications are still serious. Contrary to other research Gallup has done on migration, demographic characteristics such as employment, income level and age do not seem to factor in to whether Syrians wish to leave the country.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 4,288,910 Syrians have left their country and registered with the UNHCR as refugees. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that as of October there were 6.5 million “people internally displaced by violence” in Syria. The UNHCR says that between April 2011 and October 2015, 689,365 Syrians applied for asylum in European nations. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has estimated that the population of Syria was 21,533,000 in 2010. As of July, according to an estimate published in the CIA World Factbook, it was 17,064,854. The civil war in Syria began in March 2011.
Gallup: Only 30% of Syrians Still Want to Live in Syria
The Christian, a Greek Orthodox individual, is the sole non-Sunni Muslim admitted to the U.S. since the attack, which fueled concerns that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) may move terrorists into Western nations under the cover of refugee resettlement programs. According to the CIA World Factbook, Christians accounted for an estimated 10 percent of the Syrian population and Sunni Muslims for an estimated 74 percent when the conflict began in early 2011. Of the 237 Syrian refugees permitted to resettle in the U.S. since November 13, 123 are male, 114 are female. Of the 237, 65 (27.4 percent) are men between the ages of 14 and 50, while 55 (23.2 percent) are women aged 14-50.
Syrian refugees at the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan
Another 107 (45.1 percent) are children aged under 14, of whom 54 are males and 53 females. President Obama plans to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the U.S. during fiscal year 2016. Since FY2016 began on October 1, a total of 528 Syrian refugees have been admitted into the U.S. They comprise 522 (98.8 percent) Sunni Muslims and six Christians – three Catholic, one Orthodox, one Greek Orthodox and one simply described as “Christian.” According to Refugee Processing Center data, 137 of the 528 (25.9 percent) admitted since Oct. 1 are men aged between 14 and 50; 117 (22.1 percent) are women aged 14-50; 250 (47.3 percent) are children, of whom 132 are boys and 118 are girls; and 24 (4.5 percent) are older than 50, of whom 12 are men and 12 women.
A Syrian refugee camp in Turkey
Since the Syrian civil war began in mid-March 2011, a total of 2,401 Syrian refugees have been admitted into the U.S. Of those, 2,241 (93.3 percent) were Sunni Muslims, an additional 60 were described simply as “Moslem,” and 13 were Shia. Only 54 (2.2 percent) were Christian (including five Orthodox, one Greek Orthodox and four Catholics). The remaining religious breakdown was eight Jehovah’s Witness, six Zoroastrians, three atheists, two Baha’i, one Yazidi, seven “no religion” and six “other religion.” Of the total 2,410 Syrian refugees admitted since March 2011, 659 (27.3 percent) are men aged between 14 and 50.
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9:40 p.m.
Mareman Azad of Afghanistan was among 1,000 protesters in Athens on International Migrants Day. The demonstrators were protesting plans by Greece's left-wing government to start detaining migrants who are due to be deported. They filed past an open air Christmas concert Friday at Athens' main Syntagma Square as a choir sang "Silent Night." Azad, who traveled to Greece from Turkey after leaving her home in Kabul, says she has been learning Greek while she waits for an opportunity to try and travel north. She tells an AP journalist that "I've been here for two months. I want to go to northern Europe, to France." Some 800,000 migrants and refugees have reached Greece from Turkey so far this year. Thousands are now stranded there by Macedonia's decision to limit which asylum-seekers it allows across the border.
Migrants shout slogans during a pro-migrant rally in Athens, on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. The International Organization for Migration says refugee and migrant arrivals by sea and land into Europe this year are expected to top the one million mark next week.
9:10 p.m.
More than 1,000 stranded migrants and demonstrators from Greek left-wing and anarchist groups have marched to the Greek parliament and a European Union office in Athens, protesting Greek plans to resume the detention of migrants who are denied asylum in EU countries. The migrants, mostly from North African countries, chanted "Open the borders!" during the march Friday that ended peacefully. The rally was held to celebrate International Migrants Day. Reversing an earlier policy, Greece's left-wing government on Monday announced it would soon start detaining migrants who are due to be deported. Some 800,000 migrants and refugees have reached Greece from Turkey so far this year.
5:25 p.m.
American actress and activist Susan Sarandon is visiting the Greek island of Lesbos, Europe's busiest transit point for refugees and migrants reaching the European Union. Sarandon traveled Friday to the island's northern shore and spoke to volunteer rescuers and migrants who traveled by dinghy from the nearby coast of Turkey. Sarandon said she would spend the Christmas holidays on Lesbos to spend time with refugees, "getting their stories and hearing what they have to say so I can better explain to people back home what the situation is and hopefully learn." Earlier this month, U.S. actor Mandy Patinkin, who stars in the popular television series "Homeland," also visited Lesbos.
4:45 p.m.
Senate Democrats banded together to block debate on a bill requiring the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence to certify that Syrian and Iraqi refugees posed no security risk before they could be approved for asylum. “That is physically impossible,” said Democrat Richard Durbin. “Let’s call it for what it is. This is an effort to stop any – any – Syrian refugee from coming to the United States, regardless whether it’s a mother with a child.”
Refugees and migrants walk along a beach after crossing part of the Aegean Sea on a dinghy, from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos
Backers of the legislation, which fell five votes short of the 60 required to advance, disagreed. “This is not an anti-refugee bill,” said Republican Senator John Cornyn. “All we are asking for, and all this legislation provides for, is to enhance the screening of refugees so that this system cannot be exploited by terrorists.”
‘Serious response’ sought
The House of Representatives passed the measure late last year with bipartisan support. The vote came as the world reeled from Islamic State-inspired attacks in Paris and amid concerns that terrorists could infiltrate those fleeing horrific violence and brutality. “The debate about how to safely admit refugees from Syria and Iraq is a serious conversation that deserves a serious response from Washington,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican. “It’s difficult to effectively vet immigrants from a war-torn country where records may sometimes no longer exist at all.”
Migrants and refugees use their sleeping blankets to keep warm as they walk along snow covered fields after crossing the Macedonian border into Serbia, near the village of Miratovac
The White House said the legislation was not needed, as refugees already undergo an intensive vetting process that can take as long as two years. The White House also said the bill would tarnish America's image abroad and hand Islamic State a propaganda tool. The Senate’s top Democrat echoed that line of reasoning. “This bill scapegoats refugees who are fleeing war and torture instead of creating real solutions to keep Americans safe,” said Minority Leader Harry Reid.
Catch-all debate
In a clash with House Republicans at a Wednesday hearing over accepting Iraqi and Syrian refugees, U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services Director Leon Rodriguez delivered a strong defense of the Syrian Resettlement program. Rodriguez said he believes it boosts U.S national security to offer shelter to victims of Islamic State terror because it destroys the group’s narrative that the West is against Islam. Several Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee had expressed security concerns, saying their states do not want to admit refugees from war zones in the Middle East who have not been vetted.
Leon Rodriguez, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services testifies on Capitol Hill.
Republican Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul cited recent arrests and the mass shooting in San Bernardino in December: “Just last month, the FBI arrested two Iraqis in the United States on terror-related charges. Both were inspired by ISIS, one had traveled to Syria, and both had entered our country as refugees. In December, two ISIS fanatics in San Bernardino launched a heinous attack that left 14 dead and 22 wounded. One of these terrorists came into the United States already radicalized on a fiancé visa.”
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security explained that refugees admitted into the U.S. from Iraq and Syria face a thorough screening process that takes an average of 18-24 months. The officials said about 2,000 Syrians have been admitted to the U.S. since the brutal conflict in Syria began. Thirty Syrians were denied acceptance outright and several hundred are on hold pending further investigation.
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