That (one hundred and thirty three) is the total number of Iraqi refugees that have been allowed into the United States in the last 9 months.
Let's put that number in perspective with the numbers of refugees being housed in some other countries:
Syria: 1,200,000
Jordan: 750,000
Iran: 54,000
Lebanon: 40,000
Jordan has been housing Palestinian refugees since 1947 or so, and is the site of no less than four UN-funded permanent refugee camps already.
So where is our sense of responsibility as a nation? It makes me angry that we can't house the very people who we are displacing because of 'security concerns'- how about if we as a nation stop contributing to the insecurity of the planet so that we won't have to worry about it!
Not only that, but what do you suppose the number of Iraqis in Guantanamo Bay prison is? Larger than 133? Anyone want to bet on that?
2 comments:
I understand where your comment is coming from, however, if you look at where Syria, Jordan, Iran, and Lebanon are geographically located in comparison to Iraq...they are literal neighbors. The United States is hundreds even thousands of miles away and you can't walk here. A plane ticket is a costly thing that a majority of Iraqis can't afford. If the United States were to undergo a national emergency that required evacution, I bet you'd find a majority of refugees in Canada or Mexico...very few would venture to another continent.
Sure, I understand that. However, the war has affected all sectors equally. The US flies planes full of military personnel back and forth all the time and could stage evacuations if it saw the need to do so. The minority of well-off Iraqis who had more resources at the beginning of the war could certainly have afforded a plane ticket at that time. The issue is not just one of being able to get here, but of the fact that we are not allowing even a small percentage of those who have applied to come into our country to cross the border. We are actively denying them access based on their nationality.
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