He then transitioned to defend his plan of bringing Syrian refugees to America, attempting to temper security concerns, and appealing to generosity and the Thanksgiving holiday to make a case for his proposals.
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Obama has dedicated to simply accept 10,000 refugees from war-torn Syria this yr – still the plan has come under fierce assault from Republicans ’cause the Paris terror assaults. He added that these pilgrims just want to be given a chance to have a better and safer future for their families and themselves and that giving them that chance is the essence of America.
Further embedding himself in a controversy that has gripped political debate in the United States since the Paris attacks, Mr Obama those first European settlers to the U.S. were seeking seeking similar things to the current refugees. He said they will “be able to stand tall and accept refugees across the country”.
Henshaw said the refugee resettlement program prioritizes admitting the most vulnerable Syrians, including female-headed households, children, survivors of torture and people with severe medical conditions.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement warned that states denying services and benefits to Syrian refugees would be in violation of federal law.
He went on to quote from letters he received from two women who said they wanted to welcome the refugees – including one from Florida who can trace her family back to the Mayflower, and “said that welcoming others is part of ‘what it means to be an American'”. Through simple, yet powerful, illustrations, the video debunks the myths of refugee resettlement in the United States, with specific attention to the Syrian refugee crisis.
The letter from the federal resettlement office said would-be refugees “are subject to the highest level of security checks of any category of traveler to the United States”.
Jane E. Bloom, head of the US office of the International Catholic Migration Commission, told CNS that numerous refugees her agency is resettling are severely injured and have been devastated by the war.
The screening process for any refugee can take 18 to 24 months or more to complete, according to the State Department.
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Obama called for citizens to put the generosity of America on full display by welcoming refugees into the country with arms wide open. He noted, “It’s as if they know we are having the wrong conversation here”. A fact sheet from the U.S. State Department notes that to be considered for admission, each referred refugee must undergo security evaluation as well as fact- and document-checking; have a sponsor organization; and be interviewed by an officer of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The House has passed a bill that would effectively ban Syrian refugees altogether despite the most stringent screening policies in the world.
