Via Matt Yglesias, I came across this article bearing good news for refugees of the Iraqi occupation. The efforts of Teddy Kennedy, human rights groups, and American soldiers have brought about a change in U.S. policy regarding Iraqi refugees. While the law passed in January, the American embassy in Baghdad recently announced that it has increased by ten times the amount of visas it is granting Iraqi citizens.
The program will allow 5,000 Iraqis to go to the United States for each of the next five years. Each person can take immediate family members, who include spouses and children. More distant relatives, including siblings, parents and grandchildren, can apply under another program. So the actual numbers emigrating will probably be considerably higher. The average Iraqi household is estimated to have about six people, according to officials from the International Organization for Migration.This is extremely good news, as the burden has fallen disproportionately not only on Syria, Jordan, and other bordering countries whose cooperation we desperately need, but also on Scandanavian countries like Sweden that have taken in thousands of Iraqi refugees. Last year, the US only let in 500 Iraqis, mostly translators and other personnel that aided American efforts. It was morally contemptable that the US was so restrictive in refugee policy towards Iraqis; considering that they are fleeing a war that we brought upon them. However, this policy is a huge step in the right direction, and the US government should be commended for this change in course.
Photo used courtesy of Flickr user James Gordon November 22, 2007
