State Department Hears Testimony From Intersections For Increased Iraqi Refugee Assistance

WASHINGTON, DC--The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration held a hearing Thursday, May 12 on the President’s FY 2012 U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The meeting was held at the Refugee Processing Center, in Arlington, Virginia. The Federal Register announced that “the meeting’s purpose is to hear the views of attendees on the appropriate size and scope of the FY 2012 U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.”

C. Eduardo Vargas, Director of Advocacy & Public Policy at Intersections International, presented the following recommendations at the hearing on behalf of the organization. “We will present our case orally in support of assisting Iraqi refugees who are vulnerable, increasing resettlement numbers, and will advise on ways the U.S. can offer more assistance post-resettlement,” he said. “We are arguing in support of the U.S. to maintain its current level of assistance but also encouraging it to increase the support in targeted ways.”

For several years, Intersections has worked closely with the Iraqi refugee community and dozens of NGOs, UN organizations, and local governments to address the crises. Last February, Intersections authored Meeting America’s Ethical Responsibilities and Future Security Needs: Assisting Iraq’s Displaced Population. This policy recommendation was presented in February, 2010 at a joint congressional hearing sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and hosted by Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) and Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida (D-Fla.). The Commission convened to review U.S. efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Iraqi refugees and assess assistance strategies for U.S.-affiliated Iraqis who face incredible risk as the withdrawal of U.S. forces accelerated. The recommendations outline the obstacles faced by Iraqi refugees including limited access to healthcare, employment, legal protection, education and local integration.

“Currently, there are no long-term solutions to this on-going humanitarian crisis. Today, we will express our concern for the diminishing interest and funding for refugee assistance and continue our work to support the Iraqi people,” Vargas said.