U.S. Marine: Iraqi interpreters Betrayed

The bureaucracy that hovers over the applications of many Iraqi interpreters has reached an unbelievable limit. The delay or the reluctance to bring these men who worked for the U.S. military has turned even U.S. troops themselves critical of what their government is not doing.

Owen West, a former Marine who has served two tours in Iraq, wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Post. Titled “Betrayed by State,” West’s piece detailed his personal opinion as a Marine regarding the U.S. government’s bureaucracy. He narrated what two of his Iraqi interpreters went through while working with the U.S. Marines in the volatile western part of Iraq, and how these two men’s applications were not processed as they were supposed to be.

Last month, one of the interpreters sent West a note:

"Sir my situatione is so bad naw please save my life. Please help me sir."

West goes on by describing the ordeal that these interpreters had to go through, starting from the neighbor who discovered one of them working for the Americans and ending with his frustration of the American and Jordanian employees. He plainly justified what his peers were doing to help their interpreters survive by establishing “underground railroads to Jordan - sneaking their terps through like hunted slaves. They've lost faith in their own government.”

Iraq vets and terps now call State's paper maze the "waiting to die list" -
because it requires interpreters to risk death to purchase passports and cross
the border undisguised.

He went on by questioning his government’s belief in its own military commanders:

Whom should America trust more, the judgment of a Marine or Army brigade commander - or a faceless bureaucrat in Nebraska or Amman?

While suffering in their home country, interpreters who made it safe to the U.S. have been suffering the lack of decent jobs and appreciation. One of them is Safaa Wadi.

Wadi became the very first Iraqi interpreter to enlist in the U.S. army. The reason why he did that is not because he is interested. He did it because he is running out of money and is unable to land a decent job. The Associated Press detailed his story in this article.

Resettlement Stories: Employment Hardships

NPR recently reported on the hardships many resettled Iraqis face in the US, not least of which is securing employment.

Bahjat was hoping his experience — and engineering degree — would make him valuable here, maybe let him help the U.S. with its war on terrorism. Instead, after five months of cold-calling on stores and trawling job-search sites, he has received just one job offer, from a local hotel.

"I don't blame them if they don't respect my degree and my experience, but at the same time they should know that I served this country," he says. "Me and my family, my brother and my sister, we served this country more than many Americans did."

The article mentions a nonprofit organization named, Upwardly Global, that helps immigrants secure employment. Upwardly Global is partnered with The List Project as it has committed to helping all the Iraqis The List Project has resettled.

Bahjat's frustrations are typical of many Iraqi refugees, says Jane Leu, executive director of the nonprofit group Upwardly Global. The State Department asked the group to help out, essentially admitting that there is not much the government can do for these Iraqis.

Iraqi Dreams Lost in America

A few months ago I befriended Sameer, a 27-year-old Iraqi who recently arrived to Philadelphia from Iraq. Sameer had worked as an Iraqi interpreter for the U.S. military in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in 2004 until 2007. He arrived last summer after the same army division he worked for helped him resettle in the United States. Sameer was threatened, kidnapped and then released after three months of torture by his captors, insurgents who considered him a spy working for the American occupation.

Upon his arrival, Sameer had no one to help him in the big metropolitan city. By himself and using the remaining of his savings, he shared a one-bedroom apartment, along with three other Iraqi translators.

I saw Sameer a few weeks ago at the International Visitors Council, an international relations organization that works in partnership with the Department of State. At that time, Sameer was desperate. He ran out of money, and he was looking for jobs. He has a degree in English Literature, but he hasn’t been lucky. It didn’t occur to him it would be that hard.

Like Sameer, there are many Iraqis who worked and risked their lives every day for the Americans in Iraq who were brought to the U.S. after being threatened, kidnapped or tortured. Prior to coming here, these Iraqis thought that the U.S. government would provide them with jobs that would help them and their families live normally. They thought they would be treated like their counterparts who worked for the Danish and British troops in Iraq. NPR’s Morning Edition featured some of the resettled Iraqis who have become disappointed with the American dream. They thought they were going to be able to find decent jobs as soon as they arrived. Instead, they were left with none. "If you don't have enough money to survive, it will not be heaven — it will be hell," Bahjat, a 27-year-old Iraqi interpreter, told NPR. With his engineering degree, Bahjat thought he would be able to work here in the U.S., but his dreams faded away.

Last November, Iraqi journalist Omar Fekeiki wrote an article about Iraqi refugees here for The Washington Post. He interviewed several Iraqis who were resettled in Tucson, AZ and described the problems they face when they arrive to the States and how they are trying to cope with the new environment. They complained about not having decent jobs, along with other social and language difficulties. "Before they arrived here, the refugees said they were told by U.N. representatives that they could get jobs based on their professional qualifications. But they said they have now been told that they should work as hotel housekeepers, an occupation many of them have refused because they deem it degrading," Fekeiki wrote.

These hardships which Iraqi refugees go through in the United States led to a greater disappointment resulted in leaving the United States and thinking of going back home. “Facing a bleak outlook, many hope to return to the Middle East,” writes Tom A. Peter of the Christian Science Monitor in a detailed article that describes the difficulties of the Iraqi refugees in Lansing, Michigan.

The U.S. has a moral obligation provide these Iraqis with their first steps. After all, these same Iraqis helped Americans in their mission in Iraq. Isn’t it time for those who sacrificed themselves and families have decent lives?

In Focus: The British Plan to Airlift 1,500 Iraqi Refugees

Last week, we first highlighted Britain's announcement to airlift 1,500 Iraqis (British armed forces interpreters and their families) to the United Kingdom. Because this is such an important development in addressing the Iraqi refugee situation, it is necessary to provide a more in-depth examination of the topic.

According to a UPI article from February 16, interpreters must prove that they worked for British personnel for 12 continuous months to be eligible. The provision also requires that Iraqis show that they worked with British personnel since 2005.

Iraqis granted asylum will receive free housing and benefits to assist in the resettlement process. Ishbel Matheson of Minority Rights Group International penned an op-ed on the resettlement plan in which she described a British precedent for taking in thousands of refugees during the Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts. Matheson goes on argue that the plan does not go far enough and charges that it is an attempt by the British government to deflect negative criticism associated with the Iraq War. Regardless of the motivations behind Britain's new policy, this is clearly a step in the right direction.

This week EU lawmakers released a report that seemed to support increased assistance to resettling Iraqi refugees in Europe:

The EU should make it easier for Iraqis to find refuge in its member states and scrap "arbitrary criteria to granting protection and prevent any forced return," the report said.

And in a congressional hearing on Tuesday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman William Delahunt had strong words regarding America's obligation to do more:

"This sad reality imposes a moral responsibility on this administration and this congress, for we cannot deny that the proximate cause of this human tragedy is the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath."

With the British airlift due to commence in April, and increasing sentiment that we cannot continue to turn our backs on Iraqi allies, it is time that we turn rhetoric into policy. Everyday that we delay, Iraqi allies who risked their lives to help American colleagues are in greater danger. Perhaps a US-sponsored airlift in the near future is the only way to reach the State Department's stated goal of admitting 12,000 Iraqi refugees into the US for FY 2008.

News: Lebanon to Legalize Iraqi Refugees

Lebanon hosts approximately 50,000 Iraqi refugees whose status has been in limbo for the past few years. Many of them remain in Lebanese prisons for violating immigration rules and were deemed to have illegal status. A new policy, however, has been adopted as Lebanon will now start to issue residency and work permits to its Iraqi refugees. The Lebanese newspaper, The Daily Star, reports:

"The Lebanese decision benefiting Iraqi refugees is of particular significance given that it has been taken during a time when the country has been facing political turmoil and volatile security. This is a courageous decision", said Stephane Jaquemet, UNHCR representative in Lebanon, in a statement.

This is indeed good news for the thousands of Iraqis who have escaped Iraq to come to Lebanon and face the risk of imprisonment for illegal immigration. For Lebanon to accept these refugees while hosting Palestinian refugees is indeed commendable, especially for a deeply sectarian and politically unstable country.

Opinion: Seattle Times-Intelligencer Editorial Board and Reuters Columnist speak out on crisis

A couple of recent opinion pieces have caught our eye as being particularly worth a read:

The editorial board of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer writes:

It's quite something to see how short a government can fall even when the standards it fails to meet are its own tragically low ones…

So, the sky is the limit for funding the bombing of Iraq and carpeting it with mercenary contractors (a nearly $600 billion Defense budget sounds obscene), but when it comes to helping Iraqis, the funds dry up. Could it be that admitting so many Iraqi refugees here would equal an admission that things aren't going well in Iraq?

Reuters columnist Bernd Debusmann writes in an opinion piece:

Does the U.S. have a moral obligation to help because it started the war that uncorked ethnic violence? Yes, say senior State Department officials, particularly for those Iraqis who worked with Americans and put their lives at risk. But President George W. Bush has stayed silent on the issue and ignored appeals to show leadership in dealing with the world's largest displaced population, after Darfur.

News Roundup: 2/19/08

In what could be a model for future American policy, ThisIsLondon reports that Britain will soon be enacting a lite version of the so-called “Guam Option” – airlifting Iraqi allies to a military base and processing their asylum applications there:

Up to 1,500 Iraqis are to be airlifted to Britain after ministers agreed to grant sanctuary to the interpreters who worked for [British] forces. In a multi-million pound operation starting in April, the translators and their families will be flown here in groups of 100 every fortnight until the autumn. They will be transported in military planes to an RAF base in the South-East where they will be processed by immigration officials.

Sweden and Iraq have signed an agreement that “allows Sweden to send back Iraqi nationals whose asylum applications have been rejected”.

“…'some 400 Iraq nationals were immediately affected' by the agreement inked in Iraq. The deal means that failed asylum seekers will no longer remain 'in limbo,' [Migration and Asylum Policy Minister Tobia] Billstrom told Swedish radio news...

AFP reports on a Swedish town adapting to the heavy influx of refugees.

Jordan has announced it will waive overstay fees for Iraqis who want to leave the country. Alertnet reports:

Most refugees have overstayed their visas by several years, reported the Interior Ministry, amassing fines of thousands of dollars each. There is a fee of 1.50 Jordan Dinar (US$ 2) for each day of overstay... Only those Iraqis who return home or leave to a third country are exempt from the fines. Those wishing to stay in the Kingdom have only two months to pay 50 per cent of their dues if they are to avoid becoming permanently ineligible to be considered for residency status in the future.

Meanwhile, the European Union has just pledged 9 million euros (13.2 million USD) for new health aid for Iraqi refugees.

UNHCR calls for more aid to Jordan and Syria to support refugees

The UN High Commission on Refugees is calling on the global community to give more aid and support to Jordan and Syria, two countries who have had a massive influx of Iraqi refugees, which have taxed both governments ability to alleviate the strains on their economies. Antonio Guterres urged increased efforts, stating "We know the heavy price that they have been paying (Jordan and Syria) in order to accommodate such a large number of Iraqis with a heavy impact on the economy and society" He also stated that Jordan and Syria have reiterated their support of Iraqi refugees and pledged that they would not send Iraqis back to their war torn country.

It will be interesting to see where this leads, and weather the governments of Jordan and Syria are sincere in their commitments. I say this because it is becoming increasingly difficult, as mentioned earlier for these governments to cope with the influx. Jordan for instance has recently ended subsidies) on fuel and many other goods forcing prices on some products to surge by as much or more than 100% of their previous rates. This was not instituted because of the refugee problem obviously, but in order to curb a large deficit. This is a burden which not only Iraqi refugees in Jordan, but also Jordanians themselves have to shoulder, and many will have a hard time doing it. Increased aid will ease the burden on refugees and the governments, so they will not have to resort to radical methods.

News: Iraqi refugee children still struggling with Jordanian education system

The Guardian reports that Iraqi children are still struggling with the Jordanian education system, despite the Jordanian government’s decision last year to allow them to attend state schools:

Around 30,000 Iraqi children have now registered for a place at a state school. But thousands who should be in school are not… Finding a school place is not easy, as overcrowding is rife… Tension has risen in the Jordanian population - people are not keen on giving up precious places to the Iraqis… Children must have their school records from Iraq to be able to register in Jordan. Many do not have them because they left in a rush to escape the war. Although fees for state school are far less than for private school, parents say it is still difficult to find the money when they also have to pay for books. In contrast, Jordanian children pay only £3.50 per term, and their books are free… Iraqi children who have spent more than three years out of school are still excluded…

News: More refugees leaving Iraq than returning

A glut of stories have recenlty described how despite Bush Administration claims to the contrary, Iraq is still by no means safe for refugee return. Though Iraq’s minister of migration insists that exact numbers are difficult to track, it is clear that more Iraqis are heading to Syria than returning home. Reuters notes: “Better security not why most Iraqis go home”. The BBC ran a story with the blunt headline “We Can’t Return”. Ironically, for the minority who do want to return, Jordan – which has made it clear that it does not want these refugees – is imposing an expensive levy on those who have over-stayed their visas, preventing them from leaving. Returns home for internally displaced refugees are also on the wane.

To top things off, an historically drastic winter is making life near impossible for many refugees.

News: The Refugee Crisis and the Presidential Campaign

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have commented upon the need to alleviate the refugee crises initiated by the war, and perpetuated by an obstinate administration. While the discussion of this issue on the campaign trail is minimal, and virtually non-existent in the Republican discourse, both leading Democratic candidates have devoted a few lines on their websites for a policy prescription:

Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis — two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.

As our forces redeploy out of Iraq, Hillary would also organize a multi-billion dollar international effort -- funded by a wide range of donor states -- under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to address the needs of Iraqi refugees.

While the plans are similar and not detailed, the fact that this issue has broken into the national campaign discourse is a promising sign that the next administration simply cannot ignore this grave humanitarian issue. And whether the next administration is Republican or Democratic, it will not have the fear of implicitly acknowledging fault or failure by robustly helping Iraqis, which is one reason why Bush and company are reluctant to admit more refugees into the US.

News: Wash Post compares Iraqi refugee treatment in US and Denmark

The Washington Post compared the United States’ asylum program with that of Denmark and the results are not flattering:

In Denmark, the Iraqi asylum-seekers have been housed at government accommodation centers in Jutland while their applications are processed. There they are treated like any other political refugees, receiving a cash allowance from the Danish Immigration Service to cover their expenses for food and personal items, plus a special allowance for those with children.

The Iraqis receive courses to introduce them to Denmark, including an intensive language course. Employment training is also available before refugees are assigned to a municipality to establish residence. Language and other training can last up to three years.

Iraqi interpreters seeking U.S. asylum must file an application, pay a $375 fee, and provide proof that they worked for U.S. units for more than one year and a recommendation from a flag officer certifying their service and their security clearances. They must be interviewed by the departments of State and Homeland Security, either in Iraq or a neighboring country. The United States does not pay the cost of travel outside Iraq for these interviews.

TLP in the News: From the Christian Science Monitor

Jill Carroll of the Christian Science Monitor wrote a story this week featuring TLP's Kirk Johnson. Here is an excerpt:

Johnson is from West Chicago: "Bush Country," he calls it. His parents twice voted for the president and support the war. But Johnson's efforts have shifted from trying to massage the bureaucracy to mustering public pressure on President Bush to address America's imperiled Iraqi employees.

"He's the only one that can save them quickly," says Johnson. He rattles off statistics of refugees evacuated on presidential orders – including Iraqis in 1996.

To read the rest of Ms. Carroll's piece on an average day in the life of TLP's founder, click here.

Report: The Current State of the Crisis

Refugees International has just published this excellent report on the current state of the Iraqi refugee crisis. It is well worth a read, as is this in-depth report on the crisis from the Migration Policy Institute. The latter is quite long but an invaluable resource for learning the nuts and bolts of this issue.

News: Iraq still among most dangerous spots for journalists

Iraq continues to be a dangerous place for media workers. The LA Times recently reported: “Bomb Kills Iraqi Cameraman” and The Committee to Protect Journalists reports:

In Iraq, 32 journalists -- the same figure as in 2006 -- were killed last year, all but one of them Iraqis, as well as 12 media support workers, who include translators, fixers, guards and drivers, CPJ said. The report called the Iraq war "the deadliest conflict for journalists in recent history," with 125 journalists and 49 support workers killed since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003…

Read the full report here.

News: More elected officials addressing Iraqi refguee crisis

Though glaringly omitted from President Bush’s State of the Union address, politicians have recently been paying new attention to America’s Iraqi allies. Notably, the issue was addressed at the California Democratic debate between Senators Clinton and Obama. The relevant quotes:

Clinton: …And I also believe we've got to figure out what to do with the Iraqis who sided with us. You know, a lot of the drivers and translators saved so many of our young men and women's lives, and I don't think we can walk out on them without having some plan as to how to take care of those who are targeted.

Obama: Both of us have said that we've got to care for Iraqi civilians, including the 4 million who have been displaced already. We already have a humanitarian crisis and we have not taken those responsibilities seriously…

Click here for complete text of the Iraq portion of the debate and here for the debate transcript in its entirety.

Meanwhile in the US House of Representatives, The Washington Post reports:

[Reps. Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.) and John D. Dingell (D-Mich.)] asked President Bush to add $1.5 billion to his spending next year on the Iraq war to help pay for several Iraq refugee programs, including the one that would bring as many as 5,000 former interpreters or translators for U.S. forces to this country over five years.

"Our government has a moral responsibility to provide leadership… Iraqis are now the third-largest displaced population in the world and the fastest-growing refugee population globally," they said and thus have "grave potential to lead to a regional crisis."

Read the full text of the letter here.

Rep. David Price is also pledging leadership on the issue:

"There's an obligation we have to receive a certain number of these people, and that has lagged very, very badly," said Price… Price could find himself in a position to address the situation. He is chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Homeland Security, which does security background checks on asylum applicants approved by the United Nations. "The main issue is getting with the program, getting it done," Price said. "I think the major thing is inertia on the part of the administration. We are going to press this."

Un-elected representative Angelina Joelie has also weighed in.

Resettlement Stories: 2/12/08

TIME Magazine recently had an exceptional article, well worth reading in its entirety, on the trials and tribulations of an Iraqi woman resettled to Phoenix:

The $450-a-month unit picked out for them had a busted air conditioner and cockroaches. It was sweltering inside. Faeza was distraught, and the manager of the building was nice enough to let her spend the weekend in the dressed-up unit used to lure new renters… A few days after she arrived in the U.S., she ran into two Iraqi Americans from the local Chaldean Catholic Church, who were in the IRC office to meet Iraqi Christian refugees. When they saw Faeza, who is Muslim, they immediately offered to help… "When I see Khattab, this let me to stay here," she says in her broken English. "O.K., this is for [her 7 year old son] Khattab. This is the future for Khattab."

Other, shorter stories appeared in local papers about Iraqis being resettled in New Hampshire, Providence, Boston and Idaho.

News: A Shift in Sweden's Iraqi Refugee Policy

Sweden has admitted thousands of Iraqi refugees in the past few years; considerably more than the US has allowed to resettle with in its own borders. However, according to a recent article by the The Austin American-Statesman, Sweden has tightened its policy:

A recent decision by the Superior Court of Migration said that Iraqis must now prove they are personally in danger of persecution before being granted asylum. As a result, only 42 percent of Iraqi refugees were allowed to stay in Sweden in January, compared with 93 percent in January 2007.

To compare Sweden's intake of Iraqi refugees with the US', consider the following:

Sweden, a country of 9.1 million people that played no part in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, received nearly 18,600 Iraqi refugees in 2007. By contrast, 1,608 Iraqis were admitted as refugees to the United States in 2007.

With Syria's recent restrictions and now Sweden's, the US ought to fulfill its promise to accept 12,000 refugees for the fiscal year, although, as reports show, the slow rate of US acceptance may lead the US to renege on its promise.

News: Special Visa Created

According to an article by Refugees International:

The 2008 Defense Authorization Act, which was recently signed into law by the President, also established a special P-2 category and a special immigrant visa for Iraqis who have been targeted because of their affiliation with the U.S. government. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass), Gordon Smith (R-Ore), Sam Brownback (R-Kan), Joe Lieberman (D-Conn) and a number of liberal and conservative Senators supported this bipartisan effort.

Hopefully, the special visa will expedite the resettle process for marked Iraqi allies. At the very least, the creation of the visa is an implicit recognition from the administration that Iraqi allies are, in fact, being marked for death and that the U.S. has an obligation to help them. The bipartisanship effort underlies the ultimate humanitarian nature of the refugee issue and thus transcends the confines of Democrat, Republican, left, right, pro-war, anti-war, etc.

News Roundup: Week of February 4

State Department officials described the Iraqi refugee situation this week as a "looming problem" for the Middle East, while also acknowledging what has become tragically apparent: the U.S. may fall short of its pledge to admit 12,000 Iraqis between October 2007 and September 2008 (Fiscal Year 2008). As detailed in a Washington Post article on Tuesday, only around 10% of the goal has been fulfilled through four months.

Read the full briefing from State here.

This week a diverse group of prominent figures were in the news calling attention to the Iraqi refugee crisis. U.S. Representatives John Dingell and Alcee Hastings wrote a letter to Condoleeza Rice asking for increased government involvement:

"In addition to the moral and humanitarian elements of this problem, the lack of resources being provided to refugees and displaced persons from the United States and the international community is creating a potential security crisis, as the most vulnerable Iraqis are turning to extremist elements for assistance."

To read the full text of the letter, go to Congressman Dingell's website.

In her capacity as a goodwill representative for UNHCR, Angelina Jolie visited Iraq and met with aid organizations and high level Iraqi and US officials including General David Petraeus. Click on this AFP article to read more about the visit and issues being discussed.

Finally, a new play by George Packer on the plight of Iraqis who risked their lives to help the U.S. opened in New York. "Betrayed" is adapted from Packer's March 2007 New Yorker story of the same title.

Charles Isherwood discusses the play in a New York Times theater review.

And we're back

The List Project Blog experienced technical difficulties for the last couple of weeks but we are back and will be updating routinely again from here. Thank you for your patience during the outage.

Sweden to limit asylum for Iraqi refugees

The AFP reports that Sweden, a large holder of Iraq's refugee population, will allow fewer asylum seekers to come into the country. This poses problems for Iraqis who are seeking to leave their country, as well as Iraqis already in Sweden, some of whom are desperately trying to reach the United States. According to a Swedish immigration spokesman "The general situation in Iraq is not enough anymore to get a permission to stay in Sweden" Sweden has cut its intake by fifty percent from this time last year, and has also begun to notify some Iraqis within Sweden that they will have to pack their bags and leave.
What is left out of this conversation is the fact the many Iraqis cannot go back, either because there is nothing for them to go back to, or the fact that they are targeted individuals who would most likely be killed if they returned.