US is willing to take in Rohingya boat people

[webfact]

US says willing to take in Rohingya boat people
MATTHEW PENNINGTON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) The United States is willing to take in Rohingya refugees as part of international efforts to cope with Southeast Asia's stranded boat people, the State Department said Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Marie Harf said that the U.S. is prepared to take a leading role in any multicountry effort, organized by the United Nations refugee agency, to resettle the most vulnerable refugees.

In the past three weeks, more than 3,000 people â Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar and Bangladeshis trying to escape poverty â have landed in overcrowded boats on the shores of various Southeast Asian countries. Aid groups say thousands more are stranded at sea after human smugglers abandoned their boats because of a crackdown by authorities.

Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been reluctant to let the Rohingya in and have turned boats full of hungry, thirsty people away, because they fear a flood of unwanted migrants. But on Wednesday, they relented.

Harf welcomed the governments' decision "to uphold their responsibilities under international law and provide humanitarian assistance and shelter to 7,000 vulnerable migrants." The U.S. would consider requests from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration for funds to help receive and screen refugees as they come to shore.

Harf said that since Oct. 1, the U.S. has resettled more than 1,000 Rohingya. Last year, the U.S. accepted nearly 70,000 refugees â people with a well-founded fear of persecution â from around the world.

"I think the Malaysians and the Indonesians have requested some help resettling people. We're taking a careful look at the proposal," Harf told reporters in Washington. "It has to be a multicountry effort. We obviously can't take this all on ourselves. But we are prepared to play a leading role in this effort."

Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will visit Myanmar on Thursday and urge it to cooperate with Bangladesh to help migrants who are adrift. Harf said he would call for Myanmar to improve conditions inside the country for Rohingya.

"The only sustainable solution to the problem is changing the conditions that let them put their lives at risk at the first place," Blinken, the second-ranking U.S. diplomat, told reporters in Indonesia.

At least 120,000 minority Muslim Rohingya have fled sectarian violence and apartheid-like conditions in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar in the past three years. Myanmar officials refer to the group as "Bengalis" and insist they have immigrated illegally from Bangladesh, even though most have lived in the country for generations.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-05-21

[Mango Bob]

Stupid move by the US, spending our tax dollars to take care of Southeast Asia problems. Everyone wants to US to help. Screw these people, take care of your own. Where is China now? You don't hear a damn word from them. Afraid they will upset their buddies in Myanmar

[Ulysses G.]

I feel sorry for them, but does the US need any more Muslims during these troubling times?

[Scott]

I don't know if the US needs any more Muslims or not, but it appears that these Muslims need the US.

They will be screened to determine who is a refugee and who is an economic migrant -- in this case those coming from Myanmar will almost all be refugees. They will receive medical evaluations and then there will be a selection process for resettlement. Prior to being resettled, they will be given some cultural orientation to assist with their adjustment. They will be assigned to various NGO's throughout the country to aid in housing, jobs etc..

Those with criminal backgrounds won't be allowed resettlement in the US or most other countries.

They will eventually get situated, get passports and then return to their home country for visits to family and friends and the pressure will mount on Myanmar to start treating them right.

In the meantime, the UN should be (and I assume will) put pressure on Myanmar to clean up its act.

The number of people who are allowed to immigrate to the US is set by Congress I believe, and the Executive branch has to set the refugee numbers within that limit. Any one who can enter as an immigrant (as opposed to a refugee), must do so. That means if they have family in the US, they will enter as an immigrant and not as a refugee.

[ABCer]

UG and Scott,

you both forgot to mention

it is the winners in an axe battle the US will be getting!

I hope they feed them well enough.

[lovetotravel]

I sure feel sorry for these people, but you need to solve this at the source. Myanmar. Pressure needs to be put on them to recognize this minority and to treat them with respect.

This is an Asian problem. I hope the US doesn't get involved other than pressuring Myanmar.

An absolutely horrible human disaster.

[NeverSure]

I don't see where it says the US will take all of them. Surely The Greatest Nation On Earth^TMcould at least be there helping. It is beyond inhumane to imagine just leaving those people in boats in the water. I share the concern of UG above, but at what point do we face our humanity?

[otherstuff1957]

Here are some numbers that might help explain the willingness and unwillingness of some countries to accept refugees:

Country Population Density (per sq. km)

China 142

Indonesia 132

Thailand 131

Malaysia 93

USA 33

Of course, this doesn't explain the high immigration rate to the UK:

UK 262 !!

[cardinalblue]

The US has to be careful not to become the leader in this mess as all the other countries will bail on their responsible.

The US can be a member at the table but nothing more.

Fine to take some small X amount but only do if many other nations agree to do as well.

Lets not forget there are roughly a million of this ethnic group in Burma and then they all will want to go to America New Zealand Australia etc once word gets out

Let's not go overboard (no pun intended) in taking in refugee numbers...

CB

[EyesWideOpen]

Asian problem, Asian fix. I don't see any Asian countries accepting Hispanic

immigrants........And yes, still waiting for the self proclaimed new super power

China to step forward and do something. Or is this what we can look forward

to as China rules the world, indifference... :-)

Edited May 21, 2015 by EyesWideOpen

[steven100]

I don't see where it says the US will take all of them. Surely The Greatest Nation On Earth^TMcould at least be there helping. It is beyond inhumane to imagine just leaving those people in boats in the water. I share the concern of UG above, but at what point do we face our humanity?

Surely The Greatest Nation On Earth^TMcould at least be there helping.

Australia has said it will help the migrants if required.

[NeverSure]

Malaysian PM orders rescue of migrant boats

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Prime Minister Najib Razak said Thursday he had ordered the Malaysian navy and coastguard to conduct search and rescue operations for boats carrying stricken migrants including ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar.

"I have further ordered (the) Royal Malaysian Navy and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to conduct search and rescue efforts for Rohingya boats. We have to prevent loss of life," Najib said on his Facebook account.

Another Thai Visa Thread.

[steven100]

As callous as it seems, it would appear that all countries are in favor of giving them food, water & medicine and sufficient fuel so they can return to where they came from, be that Myanmar or Bangladesh. It was mentioned on the news that some Myanmar migrants were telling UNHCR officials they were Rohingya refugees so they would qualify for aid assistance.

And now the Phillipines has announced the same will apply should any boats arrive in it's waters.

It is the correct thing to do as letting them in would send the message that any arrivals by boat will be taken care of. This would have 100,s of thousands turn up in days. This is simply not the solution.

As shown by Thailand and other countries ... assist and help them in a humanitarian way with food, water & all the essentials.

Next step would be to go after the smugglers and kill them. This will stop further boats coming and also assist those in need now.

[ABCer]

It is said there is about 1 M of these unfortunate Rohignya people.

It is said they lived in Burma for 6 - 7 generations (?).

Anybody can explain satisfactorily why a Buddhist Nation all of a sudden rose up and chased them away?

IMHO Buddhists are not a lot prone to violence. So, - WHY? Am I right to feel suspicious?

[NeverSure]

Here are some numbers that might help explain the willingness and unwillingness of some countries to accept refugees:

Country Population Density (per sq. km)

China 142

Indonesia 132

Thailand 131

Malaysia 93

USA 33

Of course, this doesn't explain the high immigration rate to the UK:

UK 262 !!

The US, with the world's third largest population has that population density.

[gravity101]

This will shut up the Thais who told the US to mind their own business and lambasted the US of interference. Won't Thailand feel embarrassed now, with Malaysia, Indonesia and now the US reportedly offering sanctuary.

[dragonfly94]

I feel sorry for them, but does the US need any more Muslims during these troubling times?

They will have millions spent on them and many will end up hating the USA just like the Boston bomber immigrants did, it's an Islamic problem not an immigrant one. They could not integrate into Mayamar because they were always Muslim first, that problem will follow them around, the only place for them is a Muslim country.

Edited May 21, 2015 by dragonfly94

[Credo]

Here are some numbers that might help explain the willingness and unwillingness of some countries to accept refugees:

Country Population Density (per sq. km)

China 142

Indonesia 132

Thailand 131

Malaysia 93

USA 33

Of course, this doesn't explain the high immigration rate to the UK:

UK 262 !!

Population density has nothing to do with it. That would only be important if it were based on the number of cows per acre of grazing land.

Do you think the US is going to settle them somewhere out in the prairie or in the Tundra of Alaska?

I am sure if that were the basis, Russia would be taking a lot of them.

[spidermike007]

Stupid move by the US, spending our tax dollars to take care of Southeast Asia problems. Everyone wants to US to help. Screw these people, take care of your own. Where is China now? You don't hear a damn word from them. Afraid they will upset their buddies in Myanmar

Wrong. Chinese foreign policy is completely devoid of conscience. I applaud the American initiative. Being of aid to those in need has always been a hallmark of American foreign policy. Less so lately. So this is nice to see. Someone needs to help these people. The local region is treating them in such a shameful manner, especially Thailand, which is adapting a cold and heartless approach and attempting to ignore this problem.

[Scott]

UG and Scott,

you both forgot to mention

it is the winners in an axe battle the US will be getting!

I hope they feed them well enough.

Those with a criminal past are usually barred from entry into the US. A person can apply to an exemption to the regulation, but it is rarely granted. Those that are involved in the killing and mayhem will likely be identified and charged. You can be sure many on that boat will be quick to identify their perpetrators.

When people start running out of food and water some really nasty things start to happen. I helped screen vulnerable people, some of whom were the victim of boats that broke down and only had a few survivors. The things they witnessed were pretty unbelievable, parents giving their children urine to drink and then eventually some parents killing their children to prevent them from further suffering. Many engaged in cannibalism.

[simple1]

I don't see where it says the US will take all of them. Surely The Greatest Nation On Earth^TMcould at least be there helping. It is beyond inhumane to imagine just leaving those people in boats in the water. I share the concern of UG above, but at what point do we face our humanity?

Surely The Greatest Nation On Earth^TMcould at least be there helping.

Australia has said it will help the migrants if required.

Today the Australian PM very clearly announced the Rohingya 'boat people' will not be given the opportunity to be resettled in Australia. Claimed "Rohingya must come through the front door", how they can do this without first reaching an UNHCR facility outside of Myanmar is a mystery. Maybe he will change his tune once UNHCR has completed the vetting process.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/abbott-rules-out-resettling-rohingyas/6486590

[Linky]

Good work US. All this crap aboit being muslim is nonsense. They are people and have been persecuted.

[Scott]

I don't see where it says the US will take all of them. Surely The Greatest Nation On Earth^TMcould at least be there helping. It is beyond inhumane to imagine just leaving those people in boats in the water. I share the concern of UG above, but at what point do we face our humanity?

Surely The Greatest Nation On Earth^TMcould at least be there helping.

Australia has said it will help the migrants if required.

Today the Australian PM very clearly announced the Rohingya 'boat people' will not be given the opportunity to be resettled in Australia. Claimed "Rohingya must come through the front door", how they can do this without first reaching an UNHCR facility outside of Myanmar is a mystery. Maybe he will change his tune once UNHCR has completed the vetting process.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/abbott-rules-out-resettling-rohingyas/6486590

It remains to be seen how Australia will ultimately react, but for these people, the boat journey is 'the front door.' They do not have citizenship and Identity Papers. They cannot get a passport. Most of them are landing in the first available country.

The UNHCR generally starts working with resettlement countries on this issue, but I would think that Australia will be taking a few of those that are screened in. There are already some Rohingyas living in Australia and at a minimum, I would believe that family members would be resettled in Australia.

The PM is correct, however, that extreme care has to be taken to keep from encouraging an exodus. ASEAN and the UN need to get heavily involved in stemming the flow.

It's a difficult situation. Those that have left can't return so resettlement or death is about the only option at this point in time.

[MaxYakov]

Here are some numbers that might help explain the willingness and unwillingness of some countries to accept refugees:

Country Population Density (per sq. km)

China 142

Indonesia 132

Thailand 131

Malaysia 93

USA 33

Of course, this doesn't explain the high immigration rate to the UK:

UK 262 !!

Population density has nothing to do with it. That would only be important if it were based on the number of cows per acre of grazing land.

Do you think the US is going to settle them somewhere out in the prairie or in the Tundra of Alaska?

I am sure if that were the basis, Russia would be taking a lot of them.

Good points, but Russia would have to be forced to take them and who's going to do that?

[granuaile]

Stupid move by the US, spending our tax dollars to take care of Southeast Asia problems. Everyone wants to US to help. Screw these people, take care of your own. Where is China now? You don't hear a damn word from them. Afraid they will upset their buddies in Myanmar

I disagree. We should truly be the melting pot, welcoming people, especially those in such plights as the Rohingya, ... I would genuinely like the US to live by the words "Send me your tired, your poor huddled masses." That is what made America great, and what will keep it great.

[daoyai]

next phase will be the trafficers raising rates cuz ...Now you get to go to AMERICA !!!

[chuckd]

Here are some numbers that might help explain the willingness and unwillingness of some countries to accept refugees:

Country Population Density (per sq. km)

China 142

Indonesia 132

Thailand 131

Malaysia 93

USA 33

Of course, this doesn't explain the high immigration rate to the UK:

UK 262 !!

You seem to have overlooked two countries that are some 8 time zones closer to the situation than the US.

Country Population Density (per sq, km)

Australia 3

New Zealand 17

Edited May 21, 2015 by chuckd

[MaxYakov]

Stupid move by the US, spending our tax dollars to take care of Southeast Asia problems. Everyone wants to US to help. Screw these people, take care of your own. Where is China now? You don't hear a damn word from them. Afraid they will upset their buddies in Myanmar

I disagree. We should truly be the melting pot, welcoming people, especially those in such plights as the Rohingya, ... I would genuinely like the US to live by the words "Send me your tired, your poor huddled masses." That is what made America great, and what will keep it great.

Firstly, you misquoted Emma Lazarus' quote that is associated with the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Read about it here.

Secondly, that quote has nothing to do with historic, official U.S. immigration policy which has often been restricted so that the U.S. did not become a "dumping ground" for undesirable individuals. There had been concerns about the ability of immigrants to integrate into the U.S. culture (Ref: Wiki):

"The National Origins Formula of 1921 (and its final form in 1924) not only restricted the number of immigrants who might enter the United States but also assigned slots according to quotas based on national origins. A complicated piece of legislation, it essentially gave preference to immigrants from central, northern and western Europe, severely limited the numbers from Russia and southern Europe, and declared all potential immigrants from Asia to be unworthy of entry into the United States."

So, whatever made "America great", it certainly was not the unrestricted acceptance of "tired" or "poor huddled masses".

[Scott]

Very few of these people will enter as immigrants. They will enter as refugees. Refugee numbers are limited, but not to the country of origin, and in the case of the Rohingyas, they don't really have a country of origin because they are not considered to be citizens of Myanmar. Many of those in Bangladesh are also not citizens.

[shirtless]

Why doesnt China help these people , thats right there is no profit in it , Asia needs to look after itself as the west is now tapped out of being played as suckers, or the do gooders can volunteer to pay for their plight .