Archive for the ‘Afghan’ Category
Posted by Christopher Coen on January 2, 2012
The Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project has ideas for clearing the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) backlog. In addition to the Guam option the group suggests that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) develop a formal expedite procedure for applicants facing immediate danger, and that the DHS use more resources to clear the security check backlog. (How about shifting some of the billions of DHS dollars wasted on the states with little accountability over how lawmakers spent the money, rather than dumping more public resources down the DHS black hole?) An Op-Ed in The Boston Herald addresses the subject:
…Unless Washington acts to clear the backlog on their visa applications, many may die at the hands of al-Qaeda in Iraq or anti-American militias. Many more will languish as refugees. It does not need to be this way…
…There are steps the Obama administration could take now. First, Homeland Security needs more resources to clear the security check backlog. Second, a formal expedite procedure should be developed for applicants facing immediate danger. Third, there should be a clear process to appeal an incorrect or arbitrary decision. An SIV applicant who is now rejected is told only that there is some “derogatory information” in their file and is barred from appealing or addressing this “information,” even in the case of applicants with nine U.S. military officers recommending them.
If it is not possible to immediately clear the backlog or expedite the cases of our allies still trapped in Iraq, a more drastic solution is necessary: an airlift to Guam…
…Guamian politicians have already expressed support for the idea… Read more here
Posted in Afghan, Dept of Homeland Security, funding, Iraqi, Obama administration, security/terrorism, SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) immigrants | Tagged: DHS.Iraqi.Afghan, Guam, Homeland Security, Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, refugees, resettlement, security clearance, SIV, Special Immigrant Visa | 1 Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on October 5, 2011
A class action lawsuit has been initiated for soldiers and civilian contractors injured while on duty working for the U.S. government or a U.S. contractor in a war zone. Many of these people suffered extreme injuries but have only received paltry payouts from insurance companies. In addition to American soldiers and civilian contractors, foreign national civilian contractors including refugees and special immigrant visa holders (SIVs) are eligible for this suit. Although insurance companies made low-ball settlements with many of these foreign national civilian contractors before resettlement to the US – so as to avoid being subject to U.S. law – others remain eligible for the suit. The website for the Law Offices of Scott J Bloch, P.A. gives details of the class action case:
Defense Base Act Class Action
[The Law Offices of Scott J Bloch, P.A.] filed this action for damages in the amount of $2 Billion to remedy the injuries and destruction caused to the lives, finances and mental and physical well being of thousands of American families and Foreign Citizens whose loved ones were injured while serving America under contracts with the United States, and to punish the companies who made massive profits while causing this harm to people unlawfully and maliciously and working a fraud on the American public who paid them…
…One of the lead class plaintiffs, Daniel Brink, before he lost his legs in an IED explosion in Iraq working for DynCorp on December 22, 2005.
The last six years have been a living hell for him as he has been repeatedy denied medical treatment by CNA Insurance and DynCorp, given the run around and had $200,000 of medical bills unpaid, resulting in lost home, furniture, cars, and family. He even had his wheelchair repossessed due to CNA’s nonpayment after authorizing his wheelchair. He was without a wheelchair for a year. This is just one example of the torment contractors working in Iraq have suffered…Read more here
Posted in Afghan, Department of Defense, health, Iraqi, SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) immigrants | Tagged: class action, contractors, insurance, refugees, resettlement, SIV | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on September 13, 2011
An article at CBC News reports that Canada has rejected two of every three Afghans who sought refuge after risking their lives working for Canadian diplomats and military. Yet, even that puts Canada far ahead of the US. Our Afghan Allies program was supposed to award up to 1,500 visas each year through 2013, yet so far the US government has not handed out a single visa.
Two of every three Afghans who sought refuge in Canada after risking their lives working for the military in Kandahar have been turned away, including some who worked alongside Canadian soldiers during the bloodiest days of battle.
The special-measures program was announced with much fanfare by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in the fall of 2009 and brought Canada in line with other NATO countries which had already launched similar initiatives.
It ends Monday.
Applicants had to demonstrate they faced extraordinary risk as a result of their work with Canada. Few didn’t. Working as an interpreter for NATO forces in southern Afghanistan was akin to having a Taliban bull’s-eye on the back of a shalwar khameez… Read more here
Posted in Afghan, Canadian refugee resettlement pgrm, SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) immigrants | Tagged: Afghan Allies program, Afghanistan, Afghans, Canada, interpreters, military, NATO, refugees, resettlement, Taliban | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on September 10, 2011
An article in the Arizona Republic features the Phoenix, Arizona refugee assistance group, Welcome to America Project, which got its start after the 9/11 tragedy:
…the Welcome to America Project [is] an organization born out of the 9/11 rubble.
The group donates furniture and other goods to refugees resettling in the Phoenix area. It was started by Phil and Carolyn Manning as a way to honor Phil’s brother Terence, who lost his life in the attack on the World Trade Center.
A month after the towers fell, the Mannings read of the struggles faced by an Afghan family attempting a fresh start in Phoenix.
Struck by the similarities – here was a family striving for the things every American wanted, a safe home and a happy life – the Mannings collected furniture, clothing and household goods for the family, hoping to find meaning in Terence’s death.
When O’Connor heard about the Mannings’ charity, she felt compelled to help. What better way to honor those who lost their lives, or those who continue in service to America, than to share the country’s strengths with those who need it most?
“This has been really important work for me,” O’Connor said. “I’ve been inspired by the people I’ve met.”
O’Connor sees the spirit of 9/11 in those assisted by the Welcome to America Project, including Alexis Niragira, who spent 13 years in an African refugee camp before arriving in the U.S.
Niragira arrived in Arizona knowing little about 9/11 or the role it was going to play in his life as Welcome to America volunteers dropped by his apartment in 2008 with a truckload of donations, including furniture.
But he has come to understand the role 9/11 has played in his life.
“We had no furniture, not even blinds,” Niragira said. “But when they came, they bring us furniture and put it in our apartment and tell us, ‘Welcome to America.’ We were very comforted. It reminded me of the unity I had with my family back home.”
Months later, Niragira would become a Welcome to America volunteer, and he has since joined the group as a driver… Read more here
Posted in Afghan, Phoenix, security/terrorism | Tagged: 9/11, Phoenix, refugees, resettlement, Welcome to America Project | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on August 7, 2011
It seems like each time refugees resettled to the US have contact with the federal government resettlement contractors first select them. Yet, does anyone ever stop to think how this practice fails to promote our democratic ideals? I think that contractors are trying to control the message(s) that reach government and elected officials. The Fairfax Times explains the story of one of the refugee delegates, an Afghan journalist.
A long way from home, Afghan journalist Nazira Karimi remains undeterred in her effort to tell the story of her country.
As part of this effort, Karimi has joined a panel of 50 refugees participating in the first Refugee Congress in Washington, D.C.
The event, held Wednesday and Thursday on Capitol Hill, was hosted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — a two-time Nobel Peace Prize-winning agency.
The goal of the event is to raise public awareness of refugees living in the U.S. as well as to discuss issues facing this population, spokeswoman Charity Tooze said.
“The Refugee Congress stemmed from the idea that people affected most by refugee policies should be involved [in the discussion of policies],” she said. “A lot of times, politicians speak for refugees. We want to put refugees at the table with people who make decisions.”…
…Delegates were nominated by nongovernmental refugee organizations. About 200 people were nominated, Tooze said, and then 50 were chosen based on their experiences and community involvement.
“This is not a one-time thing,” Tooze said of the Refugee Congress. “We’re hoping this is an annual event. We see this as the beginning of a movement to give refugees more of a voice … and power.”
Remembering how difficult her resettlement to the U.S. was, Karimi said she hopes that she and other delegates can help make future resettlements easier.
…During this week’s gathering, refugee delegates drafted a proclamation with some recommended changes to U.S. policy regarding refugee resettlement efforts. The proclamation will go to the U.S. Congress first, then on to the annual meeting of the United Nations Secretariat in Geneva, Tooze said.
“Delegates meet in the day to discuss refugee policy and their experiences in resettlement,” she said. “There’s a lot of energy, a lot of dynamics. … We have people who are 80 years old and people in their 20s. … What they have in common is their shared [refugee] experiences.”… Karimi would like to see resettlement programs offer more emotional help to refugees… Read more here
I have a proposal – that refugees who want to meet with government and elected officials be free to do so, and that they be allowed to rise from their own grass-roots.
Posted in Afghan, Congress, democracy, UN, UNHCR | Tagged: Capitol Hill, Congress, NGO, Refugee Congress, refugees, resettlement, UN, UNHCR, United Nations, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees | 1 Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on August 6, 2011
Afghans who risked lives for the U.S., like their Iraqi cohorts, are finding interminable waits for visas to emigrate to this country while threats increase all around them. A New York Times article has more:
KABUL, Afghanistan — Thousands of Afghans who have worked with American troops and diplomats here, often at great risk, have become stranded for years in a murky wait to emigrate to the United States, despite government efforts to speed them from potential threats in Afghanistan.
One American initiative to substantially increase the number of visas available to Afghan workers, the Afghan Allies program, has fallen especially short of its goals. Since the program began in 2009, about 2,300 Afghans have applied for those visas, but the American Embassy in Kabul has finished reviewing only two cases. One was rejected…
…The long, uneasy wait has frustrated many Afghans employed by the United States, who said they felt neglected after risking their safety and that of their families to work with Americans in war-torn sections of the country. The Taliban have brazenly killed Afghan civilians, even children, with ties to coalition forces.
Some applicants said their paperwork had been lost, or that interviews had been promised but never scheduled. Many echoed a similar complaint: They had simply heard nothing and had no idea whether their applications had been approved or rejected…
…The number of Afghans arriving under the special immigrant visa program, the broader program that includes Afghan Allies, has also dwindled. A total of 108 Afghans arrived under that umbrella in the 2010 fiscal year, down from 775 a year earlier, according to State Department figures. This year, they continue to trickle in: 18 in March, 17 in April and none in May, the latest month for which figures were available… Read more here
Posted in Afghan, security/terrorism, SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) immigrants, State Department | Tagged: Afghan Allies, Afghanistan, Afghans, human rights, Kabul, refugee, resettlement, security clearance, SIV, Special Immigrant Visa, State Department, Taliban | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Christopher Coen on April 24, 2011
It has come to our attention that due to a misunderstanding on the part of some Social Security offices and caseworkers, there have been cases of Iraqis/Afghans who have come here on Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) who’ve been mistakenly turned down for SSI benefits, which stands for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
SSI benefits are for people who because of causes such as severe ongoing illness, injury, PTSD, or other emotional reasons are unable to work for a period of at least 12 months. To apply, the illness has to be proven by medical records from your doctors and an interview with a SS caseworker either in person or over the phone is necessary.
If your visa status is SI or SQ followed by a number, you are entitled to apply for these benefits for a period of up to 7 years if you are in need of this assistance and cannot work.
In some cases, SIV derivative visa holders that are the family members of Iraqi/Afghan translators/interpreters and contractors have been told that they are not eligible because they themselves did not work for the US in Iraq/Afghanistan. This is incorrect, and if you hold a SI or SQ visa and would like help clearing this up let us know.
Please contact Nancy: email address snancylee at gmail.com
In the subject line of the email please show SSI Assistance Request
**CORRECTION** — The 7-year limit for refugees listed above was actually a 9-year limit, due to the US Congress passing a rule in 2008 (set to expire Sept. 30, 2011) giving qualifying refugees 9-years of SSI if they were noncitizens. See Herald-Leader article:
…Congress extended the deadline once in 2008 so that refugees could receive assistance for up to nine years before becoming citizens. But that extension expires Sept. 30 [2011]… Read more here
Posted in Afghan, health, Iraqi, PTSD, SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) immigrants, Social Security Administration, SSI | Tagged: Afghan, Afghanistan, contractors, interpreter, Iraq, Iraqi, SIV, Social Security Administration, Special Immigrant Visa, SSA, SSI, Supplemental Security Income, translator | Leave a Comment »
Christopher Coen
Melissa Sogard
nancylee1
The Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project has ideas for clearing the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) backlog. In addition to the Guam option the group suggests that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) develop a formal expedite procedure for applicants facing immediate danger, and that the DHS use more resources to clear the security check backlog. (How about shifting some of the billions of DHS dollars wasted on the states with little accountability over how lawmakers spent the money, rather than dumping more public resources down the DHS black hole?) An Op-Ed in The Boston Herald addresses the subject:
