Iraq War Refugees
Like most people whose hometown is destroyed by bombs, and then ravaged by civil war and occupation without end, Iraqis are getting the hell out. When Bush said he wanted to liberate the Iraqi people, I don’t think this is what he had in mind.
Nevertheless, in what is the largest population migration since Palestinians were displaced by the creation of Israel in 1948, over 2 million Iraqis have ditched their country to find a new home in another nation. Add to that the 1.8 million who have migrated to new homes within Iraq, and that’s 3.8 million who’ve left their homes.
Ten Times Worse Than Katrina
In comparison, Hurricane Katrina displaced 374,000 people from New Orleans. Remember the Katrina refugees? Scattered across 34 states, sleeping in cars and coliseums and campgrounds and all those problematic FEMA trailers?
There are over 10 times as many Iraq refugees as Katrina refugees.
Sweden Number One Destination
Where do 2 million people go? Syria, a country of only 19 million, has taken in 1.2 million Iraq refugees. Jordan has taken in 700,000. Egypt has received 120,000, Iran 50,000, Lebanon 40,000.
To officially move to another country, refugees must file papers to seek asylum. Since the war began, the United States has opened its arms to a grand total of…less than 500 people. Sweden, a country that was never in the “Coalition of the Willing,” took in more than 9,000 Iraqi asylum-seekers last year alone.
Iraqi refugees going to Sweden usually have to buy $10,000 tickets from smugglers and often get robbed during their journey. Many refugees are doctors and other educated, middle-class members of society. Some, able to afford only one ticket, must leave wives and children behind until they can earn enough money in their new country to smuggle their remaining family out.
More Refugee Aid Needed
Many people in Sweden wonder why the United States and England—the countries that invaded Iraq—don’t offer more help to the refugees created by the Iraq War.
While the U.S. continues to spend $8 billion a month for war, the Bush administration has only budgeted $20 million this year for refugee assistance. That’s a little over $5 per refugee for an entire year.
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Even sadder…without anything to eat and anything to sell but their bodies, many Iraq War refugees have turned to prostitution. Watch the CBS report here: CBS Report: Iraq War Refugees Turn to Prostitution.
Consequences and accountability are not part of the Bush lexicon.
Lynne: That’s the truth. It’s just unbelievable how poorly thought out this whole war was. Clearly, the interest was not in the country or the people or the culture, but purely military and financial. I was reading more about the refugees, and it turns out many Iraqis having to flee helped spy and get information for the U.S. before and during the invasion…and now, the U.S. isn’t helping them seek asylum anywhere else. No wonder there’s an insurgency, and not surprising if a lot of those helpers we “abandoned and left to the wolves” flip sides and help the insurgency now.
Aside from issues of power in the hands of vain and disastrously shallow leadership…and the rippling ramifications thereof, I’m always perplexed by this sort of exploitation.
I’m a bit mystified by the interest in sex involving zero reciprocal desire. That creeps me smooth out. It makes me nervously suspicious.
In addition to all this, there’s more bad news. Most of the 2 million Iraqi refugees who have fled their homes come from middle class backgrounds, causing serious damage to the country’ social balance. The rest are too poor to leave, becoming instead an easy target for militias who recruit them to their ranks. This is according to the latest Al-Jazeera report. Read the rest here: http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/1265/2007/02/29-171421-1.htm
Nina: Thanks for the info and the link to your article. You brought up a very good point: it’s the middle class that’s leaving Iraq, not the poor.
The poor can’t afford to leave; they’re left behind without access to doctors and teachers and on and on…because THOSE people are leaving in droves. Sad to read about the young males recruited by warlords, even if they don’t want to fight. Thinking about Sufian will make me really savor my next sojourn on the patio or walk around the block. Poor guy…WHAT THE &*%$ ARE WE DOING TO THIS COUNTRY??? It just doesn’t make any good sense.
Thanks again for dropping in!
P.S. Read more of Nina’s excellent articles here: Nina Brenjo Articles.
Sick! Excellent words…I came across Hard-Boiled Dreams while searching for blogs that contained commentary on the Iraqi refugee crisis, and it has been the topic yielding the best finds as of late. Thanks for helping to highlight this issue. I’m looking forward to reading more, and have posted a link to here on my site, ‘deadissue’ http://deadissue.com - take a look when you get the chance and perhaps you could do the same. Here’s the latest thing I’ve posted on this topic:
http://deadissue.com/archives/2007/04/13/refugees-that-nobody-talks-about/
Peace - DI
(now onto that piece I clicked on about pearl harbor…I’m curious as to whether some Gore Vidal ideas have anything to do with what you wrote on that topic)
deadissue: Thanks for reading; I’ve added your link as well. You’ve got some good articles, and I’m looking forward to reading your site.
I agree, the Iraq refugee issue is rarely brought up in the US media, and it’s all you have to look at (among many choices) to realize all those words in the Main Stream Media about how Iraq is becoming a better place because the U.S. invaded are just empty words and outright lies. Even Katrina victims didn’t have to leave their country to find food and a bed…