Help! Countering anti-refugee fears

[uppityperson]

There is so much fear and misinformation out there. I am trying to compile links to articles and information about how a refugee is able to enter the USA. . It you have links, please add then also, thank you.


In depth article
How a Syrian refugee gets to the US
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34848248


Includes a short, easily understood list.
Obama says US governors' refusal of refugees 'hysterical'
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34859604

The vetting process
takes two years
in-person interviews and supporting documents
their experience of conflict cross-checked against intelligence
about 50% of applicants approved

http://www.npr.org/2015/11/17/456395388/paris-attacks-ignite-debate-over-u-s-refugee-policy

It's a lengthy process.

As you might imagine, all of the vetting, from interviews to fingerprinting, takes a while. On average, officials say it's 18 to 24 months before a refugee is approved for admission to the U.S.

The U.S. has admitted some 1,800 Syrian refugees in the past two years, and President Obama wants to allow 10,000 more. The administration says half of those who have been admitted are children and about a quarter of them are adults over 60. Officials say 2 percent are single males of combat age.

[uppityperson]

1. Tsarnaev brothers entered the USA on tourist visas

http://www.snopes.com/tsarnaev-refugees/

[uppityperson]

2. Refugee vs visas including 9/11 terrorists

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/applying-refugee-status-is-hard_564bbf8ce4b045bf3df1a043

All of the 19 hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 flew to the United States on planes and entered legally, mostly on tourist or business visas, which don't require the same scrutiny to acquire as does refugee status. Nearly 10 million people entered the United States that way last year, though consular services in Syria are currently suspended.
(Clip)

“While 70,000 refugees come to the United States [annually], literally millions of visitors come to the United States from overseas, some of them from visa waiver countries,” Durbin went on. “Let’s ask the hard questions about how we make sure that none of them can come into the United States and cause problems for us or a threat to our safety."

[uppityperson]

3. Refugee, asylumvs tourist visa, from a legal place

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/is-easier-the-us-apply-asylum-rather-applying-refugee-status.html

Question:
I am considering fleeing my home country, because I’m part of a persecuted group here, and I want to apply for refugee status to come to the United States. A friend told me, however, that the refugee application process is lengthy and difficult. He suggested I instead book a flight with a layover in the U.S. and then request asylum at the airport. Would this route be easier for me?
Answer:
Neither route is easy. Refugee classification is a long process, but you will have access to plenty of support if you are eventually successful. Applying for asylum after you have arrived in the U.S. is somewhat easier, but you must have the financial means to come to the United States and you risk being sent back to your home country if you are denied.
To become an asylee or refugee, you must refuse to return to your country of origin due to a well-founded fear that you will be persecuted based on your race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion. In order to request refugee status, you must have left your home country (except in special circumstances such as a disaster or war); while to apply for asylum, you must be at the U.S. border or already present in the United States.
You cannot simply “apply” to become a refugee – you must first get a referral. A referral from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNCHR) is your best bet for getting into the U.S. Resettlement Program (USRAP), but even then only 1% of cases are referred for resettlement in a third country such as the United States. If you are referred to USRAP, it is still not guaranteed that you will be given refugee status.
Next is the refugee application process, which can also be difficult. The good news is that after you are classified as a refugee, you will be matched with agencies that can give you support. Once you have arrived in the U.S., they will line you up with low-cost housing, employment options, access to English language classes, and a cultural orientation. Asylees do not receive all these benefits.
If you do not want to go through this lengthy refugee referral process, see whether you can obtain a valid tourist visa to enter the United States. That will allow you to wait until after you have passed U.S. Customs and Border Protection and entered the U.S. to apply for asylum, which you will be able to do by mail. You should submit your application within one year of your arrival (or ideally, before your tourist visa expires). In such a case, you must foot the bill for your travel to the U.S. and find your own place to stay, and perhaps pay a lawyer to assist you in preparing a persuasive, complete application. You will not be able to legally work in the U.S. for a long time after submitting your application. If you are approved, you can stay in the U.S., but if you are denied you will be placed into removal proceedings where you will have to present a convincing case in Immigration Court. At this point, the process can be overwhelming and time-consuming and will likely require the assistance of an experienced attorney.
If you cannot get a U.S. visa and you request asylum at an entry port during a layover like your friend suggested, you may be placed into detention. Conditions there are similar to prisons. You will have to wait around a day or two until you are scheduled for a “credible fear” hearing with an asylum officer. If the officer denies your request, you will be sent home immediately. If the officer decides that you indeed fear persecution, you will have less than a week to convince an immigration judge that you are actually eligible for asylum.

[uppityperson]

4. SIX REASONS TO WELCOME SYRIAN REFUGEES AFTER PARIS

https://niskanencenter.org/blog/six-reasons-to-welcome-syrian-refugees-after-paris/

1. The Paris attackers were not refugees: Assuming that the user of a fake Syrian passport found near the body of an attacker belonged to the attacker, which isn’t clear, it appears that he may have exploited the flow of people into Europe, but he was not a refugee. He did not receive refugee designation from the United Nations or vetting from intelligence agencies. He was never approved for refugee status in any country. To become a refugee in the United States, you undergo a multi-stage vetting process and only after receiving U.N. designation by trained officers in the field. The U.S. can vet refugees prior to admission, which means we can weed out terrorists and those most likely to become involved in terrorism, accepting only the most vulnerable. Europe cannot do the same. What happened in Paris is not applicable to the U.S. refugee process.

2. U.S. refugees don’t become terrorists: The history of the U.S. refugee program demonstrates that the lengthy and extensive vetting that all refugees must undergo is an effective deterrent for terrorists. Since 1980, the U.S. has invited in millions of refugees, including hundreds of thousands from the Middle East. Not one has committed an act of terrorism in the U.S. (update for those unwilling to read the source, the Boston bombers were not refugees). Traditional law enforcement and security screening processes have a proven record of handling the threat from terrorist posing as refugees.

3. Other migration channels are easier to exploit than the U.S. refugee process: The previous point can also be made another way. Non-refugees have carried out all terrorist attacks over the past 35 years. That means they used other means to arrive in the U.S. All of the 9/11 hijackers used student or tourist visas. These visas are much easier and faster to obtain than refugee status, which takes up to two years and requires a multi-stage vetting process and U.N. referral. Refugee status is the single most difficult way to come to the U.S. It makes no sense for a terrorist to try to use the resettlement process for an attack.

4. ISIS sees Syrian refugees as traitors: According to ISIS, Syrian Muslim refugees are traitors to the radical Islamic cause. “It is correct for Muslims to leave the lands of the infidel for the lands of Islam, but not vice versa,” one ISIS video said in September. Here are several other examples of similar condemnation from this year. Nearly 90 percent of displaced Syrians in Turkey have no sympathy for ISIS at all, even though ISIS is fighting the person, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who most refugees see as their main enemy. Kurdish and Christian refugees see ISIS as their main foe. Some have speculated that the attacker in Paris intentionally left the fake Syrian passport near his body to help turn the West against Syrian refugees. Turning away Syrian refugees plays into ISIS’s hands.
(Clip)

[NobodyHere]

5. So no refugees within 2 years?

[uppityperson]

6. What? It takes around 2 yrs to get refugee status where a tourist, business or student visa is much

As the 9/12 hijackers and Boston Marathon bombers found.

I'm not sure what you are asking, please clarify?

[B2G]

7. Maybe Obama should publish a detailed outline

of what the process involves so we don't have to search all over the internet to (hopefully) find an answer to this question.

[uppityperson]

8. The info is easily and quickly available

I found this info in 10 seconds. Please help by sharing it around.

http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum
http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/refugees

Or do you mean like he did?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34859604

The White House held a 90-minute phone call with 34 governors on Tuesday night to explain how Syrian refugees are screened and prioritised for entry.
The vetting process:
takes two years
in-person interviews and supporting documents
their experience of conflict cross-checked against intelligence
about 50% of applicants approved

[B2G]

9. 4 bullet points isn't a lot of detail

That is my point.

[FLPanhandle]

10. You aren't allowed to address concerns with information and facts

According to DU you are only allowed to mock people who might have valid concerns.

[uppityperson]

11. I'm dealing with people on Facebook also but no

I know that it is difficult to overcome emotions by facts, but try. And I appreciate anyone who helps do so.

[FLPanhandle]

14. I'm glad you are trying

I am too. Even though some here disagree, mocking people for valid concerns isn't productive nor an intelligent way to change minds.

Good for you.

[uppityperson]

15. I try to overwhelm them with facts. A funny Facebook discussion ended with

"You can give me all the links you want, but that's how I remember it in the media".
I try

[treestar]

12. ...

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/refugees-fact-sheet

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kyleblaine/some-things-to-know-about-how-us-screens-syrian-refugees?utm_term=.cn2w3WolAP#.ubVV56zEyM

[uppityperson]

13. Thank you, good information there

From your second link, easy to understand

To gain admittance into the United States, a Syrian must clear all these steps:
Multiple high-level security checks
Biometric screening
A mandatory interview with the Department of Homeland Security
A medical screening
A cultural orientation program (which consists of videos on housing, employment, education, and hygiene, among other topics)
Several of the checks remain current for only a certain period of time, but to qualify for entry into the United States, a potential refugee must have approved status for each step at the same time.
For instance, the medical screening is valid for only six months, and most security checks expire after 15 months.

[uppityperson]

16. How much financial assistance do the receive?

http://www.ascentria.org/frequently-asked-question-about-refugee-resettlement-1

How much financial assistance do refugees receive?
The Federal government provides $925 per refugee to cover the costs of housing, household goods, food, and pocket money for the first 30 days. Beyond that, refugees may qualify for other public assistance programs such as Match Grant (an early employment program), TANF, or Refugee Cash Assistance.

[bklyncowgirl]

17. Thanks for that . I prefer to argue from a factual position than to make fun of people's fears.

I can't say I convert everyone. Hardcore conservatives reject everything that does not come from a right wing source--however bogus but many others can be persuaded with this sort of information.

[uppityperson]

18. I did not know the process, and educating people is good. I agree that there are some

who will never have their emotional minds changed. But perhaps others might read, think, learn.

And another kick for that after the shameful House vote and Trump's backing of American Muslims having a Special ID.

[bklyncowgirl]

19. Absoutely

[herding cats]

20. Thank you for all of this!

I'm bookmarking to read them later when I get some time.

Seriously, I really appreciate you doing this leg work.

[uppityperson]

21. Facts about refugees from the White House

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/11/17/how-were-welcoming-syrian-refugees?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email528-text2&utm_campaign=refugees

Facts about refugees from the White House


23,092
The number of Syrian refugees UNHCR has referred to the U.S. Refugees Admission Program.


7,014
The number of Syrians the Department of Homeland Security has interviewed since FY 2011.


2,034
The number of Syrian refugees who have been admitted since FY 2011.


0
The number of Syrian refugees resettled in the U.S. that have been arrested or removed on terrorism charges.

[uppityperson]

22. Facebook post from immigration lawyer

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027365930
https://www.facebook.com/BryanScottHicks/posts/1187326084630475

[uppityperson]

23. With thanks to Koinos who posted this elsewhere on du

http://www.juancole.com/2015/11/reasons-governors-refugees.html

1. The attackers in Paris were European nationals. The Syrian passport found near one of them was a fake. So are the governors opposed to Belgian immigration into the United States?
2. The attackers were not refugees. They were born in Europe. Refugees are poor and lacking in knowledge or resources about their new environment. The attackers knew exactly where everything was that they wanted to assault and were hooked in with arms smugglers and other hard-to-discover criminal networks.
3. There is no rational reason to bar Syrian refugees but accept refugees from other conflict areas. The US already admits 70,000 refugees every year, but only took in about 400 Syrians last year. Most refugees are fleeing conflict situations or oppressive governments, and if you wanted to be paranoid about them you could fear them all on the same grounds that the GOP fears Syrians. The US has accepted a former child soldier from the Congo (might have skills). In 2014 the US accepted 758 refugees from Afghanistan; how are they different from Syrian refugees? And here’s the kicker: the US accepted 19,651 refugees from Iraq last year! It is completely irrational to single out Syrians if you are going to take in Iraqis.
4.These refugees undergo at least 18 months of background checks, contrary to what Sen. Mario Rubio (whose parents were Cuban immigrants to the US) has alleged.
...(more)

[uppityperson]

24. Another from Koinos, from an immigration lawyer about the process

https://www.facebook.com/BryanScottHicks/posts/1187326084630475?fref=nf