First Syrians leave for US under surge resettlement program

[webfact]

First Syrians leave for US under surge resettlement program
KHETAM MALKAWI, Associated Press

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The first Syrian family to be resettled in the U.S. under a speeded-up "surge operation" for refugees left Jordan on Wednesday and arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, to start a new life.

Ahmad al-Abboud, who is being resettled with his wife and five children, said he is thankful to Jordan, where he has lived for three years after fleeing Syria's civil war. But the 45-year-old from Homs, Syria, said he was ready to build a better life in the U.S.

"I'm happy. America is the country of freedom and democracy, there are jobs opportunities, there is good education, and we are looking forward to having a good life over there," al-Abboud said.

They have been living in Mafraq, north of Amman. Al-Abboud was unable to find work, and the family was surviving on food coupons.

"I am ready to integrate in the U.S. and start a new life," he told The Associated Press in Amman's airport before the family boarded a flight to Kansas City.

Al-Abboud said he wanted to learn English and find a job to support his family.

A spokeswoman for the social services organization helping resettle the family said they arrived in Kansas City late Wednesday night.

Since October, 1,000 Syrian refugees have moved to the U.S. from Jordan. President Barack Obama has set a target of resettling 10,000 Syrian refugees by Sept. 30.

A resettlement center opened in Amman in February to help meet that goal, and about 600 people are interviewed every day at the center.

The temporary processing center will run until April 28, said U.S. Ambassador Alice Wells, who was at the airport to see the al-Abboud family depart.

Gina Kassem, the regional refugee coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, said that while the target of 10,000 applies to Syrian refugees living around the world, most will be resettled from Jordan.

"The 10,000 (figure) is a floor and not a ceiling, and it is possible to increase the number," Kassem told reporters.

While the resettlement process usually takes 18 to 24 months, the surge operation will reduce the time to three months, Kassem said.

The U.N. Refugee Agency prioritizes the most vulnerable cases for resettlement, and refers them to the U.S. to review, Kassem said. The priority is given to high-risk groups such as unaccompanied minors and victims of torture and gender-based violence, she said.

"We do not have exclusions or look for families with certain education background, language skills or other socio-economic factors, and we do not cut family sizes," she said.

Jordan hosts about 635,000 of the more than 4.7 million Syrians who have registered with the U.N. refugee agency after fleeing the war. The total number of Syrians in Jordan is more than 1.2 million, including those who arrived before the conflict began in 2011.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-04-07

[kotsak]

Trump will be thrilled..

[Jingthing]

Trump will be thrilled..

I doubt he really cares personally.

It's just a way to enthuse his xenophobic base.

[kotsak]

Trump will be thrilled..

I doubt he really cares personally.

It's just a way to enthuse his xenophobic base.

definitely will give more fodder to the cattle

[ggt]

Have in friend in Colorado who has applied to use his home to help Syrians in the re-settlement process...his heart is in the right place...

It would be interesting to re-visit him 10 years from now to see how that has worked out for him...

I am personally skeptical of a people who insist on their new countries' natives...changing their culture to accommodate Muslim personal beliefs...

[cgtours]

His Brain however is in the wrong Place.!!

Muslims NEVER integrate and never change their Muslim Culture. They form their own clusters and THEN start DEMANDING their religion, their customs and their Culture be accommodated and forget THEY are the outsiders in a WESTERN Country that is hosting them.. They will NOT ever change and please read the QURAN with which they are brainwashed from Birth and what it says about INFIDELS and KEFARS ! That is us Western NON Muslims. Already has 5 children, soon they second wife will arrive and NONE of them speak English and then more children etc, they will not work or are totally UNEMPLOYABLE. What qualifications has this Syrian Muslim Man have to EARN to support his wife and the 5 children he already Has?. How long before he van even speak english and the wife? RATHER assist in getting Syria right and DONATE the money to him that it would cost to keep them in USA to restart a life in their OWN MUSLIM Country within their OWN CULTURE with a house and a little business.

[Emster23]

His Brain however is in the wrong Place.!!

Muslims NEVER integrate and never change their Muslim Culture. They form their own clusters and THEN start DEMANDING their religion, their customs and their Culture be accommodated and forget THEY are the outsiders in a WESTERN Country that is hosting them.. They will NOT ever change and please read the QURAN with which they are brainwashed from Birth and what it says about INFIDELS and KEFARS ! That is us Western NON Muslims. Already has 5 children, soon they second wife will arrive and NONE of them speak English and then more children etc, they will not work or are totally UNEMPLOYABLE. What qualifications has this Syrian Muslim Man have to EARN to support his wife and the 5 children he already Has?. How long before he van even speak english and the wife? RATHER assist in getting Syria right and DONATE the money to him that it would cost to keep them in USA to restart a life in their OWN MUSLIM Country within their OWN CULTURE with a house and a little business.

Do you know any Muslims, have Muslim friends? I live in Ramkhamhaeng area of Bangkok, which has large Muslim population: no problems. Used to live in Phra Kanong, again no problem. I've met and had friendships with Muslims from all over the world. As a group they are the most gracious, thoughtful and well mannered compared to other religious groups. Most just want to get on with the tasks of life. USA does not have religious tests, at least as long as Trump and Cruz stay out of power or Constitution changed. USA made the mess, should help lessen impact of what they sowed.

"They form their own clusters and THEN start DEMANDING their religion, their customs and their Culture be accommodated and forget THEY are the outsiders in a WESTERN Country that is hosting them" This was a rephrasing of Native American chief regarding Europeans coming to stay? Druids about Angles and Saxons coming to Britain?

[thaihome]

His Brain however is in the wrong Place.!!

Muslims NEVER integrate and never change their Muslim Culture. They form their own clusters and THEN start DEMANDING their religion, their customs and their Culture be accommodated and forget THEY are the outsiders in a WESTERN Country that is hosting them.. They will NOT ever change and please read the QURAN with which they are brainwashed from Birth and what it says about INFIDELS and KEFARS ! That is us Western NON Muslims. Already has 5 children, soon they second wife will arrive and NONE of them speak English and then more children etc, they will not work or are totally UNEMPLOYABLE. What qualifications has this Syrian Muslim Man have to EARN to support his wife and the 5 children he already Has?. How long before he van even speak english and the wife? RATHER assist in getting Syria right and DONATE the money to him that it would cost to keep them in USA to restart a life in their OWN MUSLIM Country within their OWN CULTURE with a house and a little business.

You would make an ideal member for the "know nothing" party of the 1850's. They said almost the exact same thing about the Northern european catholic immigrants of the time.

TH

[JHolmesJr]

This is not going to end well.

[Scott]

His Brain however is in the wrong Place.!!

Muslims NEVER integrate and never change their Muslim Culture. They form their own clusters and THEN start DEMANDING their religion, their customs and their Culture be accommodated and forget THEY are the outsiders in a WESTERN Country that is hosting them.. They will NOT ever change and please read the QURAN with which they are brainwashed from Birth and what it says about INFIDELS and KEFARS ! That is us Western NON Muslims. Already has 5 children, soon they second wife will arrive and NONE of them speak English and then more children etc, they will not work or are totally UNEMPLOYABLE. What qualifications has this Syrian Muslim Man have to EARN to support his wife and the 5 children he already Has?. How long before he van even speak english and the wife? RATHER assist in getting Syria right and DONATE the money to him that it would cost to keep them in USA to restart a life in their OWN MUSLIM Country within their OWN CULTURE with a house and a little business.

It's always interesting how broad, sweeping statements lack a certain credibility.

I just received a wedding invitation from a former colleague. He is Muslim and he is marrying a Catholic girl. He is converting. His family is not particularly happy, but they will be attending the wedding, but they will not be attending his baptism.

I also worked with a nice lady from Africa who was born and raised Muslim, but converted to Christianity. She has less support from her family, but has no regrets about leaving the religion.

I also worked in Bosnia, which had a very large secular population with a significant number of people who intermarried in Muslim/Catholic/Orthodox unions. Because of the communist roots and the discouragement of religion, most didn't change their religion, but seemed to be able to have relationships which passed the test of time.

In many ways, ISIS and some of these fanatical groups are not different that extremist Christian sects. They have to use coercion and force to keep their religious beliefs in place.

Whether or not a country wishes to admit large number of any group of people is up to the individual country and it is a decision that should be made on the basis of what is in the best interest of the host country and what benefit the new residents provide.

[JDGRUEN]

I live in Ao Nang, Krabi well over 40% Muslim. The Muslim girls at the pharmacy treat me rather well. However, Muslim men on the streets will plow right over me on the sidewalks as if I am not standing there. Older Muslim women in Makro purposefully knock their carts into my gay friend's cart when he is with his young boyfriend. This same gay couple has been refused service in Muslim cafes. I have personally witnessed these events. And the topper is the unauthorized placement of loud speakers on public utility poles to encroach on non Muslim areas of town blaring their call to prayer and entire sermons at times. I have noticed one odd happening ... young Muslim women are tossing the hijab at a very noticeable rate. I have no idea how they get away with it but expect a crackdown at some point. Last Ramadan ... the day before I watched some Thai guys with a truck and bamboo ladders disable the loud speakers one by one ... It took the entire Ramadan season before they got them going again. When the local Muslim population reaches over 50% I fully expect turmoil... So it goes when Muslims decide they own the place... Watch out America.

[JDGRUEN]

It should be based on the consent of the American people not imposition by government

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Given the feeling's that some Americans harbour (and this would be the same for most of the western county's) against Muslim's and their beliefs.I think this will not end well.I foresee the children having problems at the schools they will attend,with other students,whose parents will object to their children being in the same classes as the Muslim children.Will the school have to change its Religious education classes to accommodate,Mohamed and Allah? Will the school have to have Quaran lessons.

Will the school cafeteria have to change its food items and take pork off of the menu?

Will the girl children be required to still wear the black bin bag?

The guy says he wants to learn English,does he realise that this is not done in 5 minutes.What sort of job would he be able to find? And furthermore who would employ him? There's a lot of parents that have lost their young men in this time of war.Do you think that "Honest Joe Yank"who runs the local auto store (and having lost son/s during this conflict,will happily employ him?

There are a million other reasons why this cannot work.After this guy getting so many knock backs,refusals of employment,and even street insults.What about his wife when (if ever she does) tries to go to the local store(and wears her bin bag)do you think that American wives will treat her as just another wife doing her daily shop?

As the op said,Muslims do NOT want to integrate,they do not want to be part of the western world,even if they say they do.When others arrive there will be a community waiting for them to advise them of every way to screw the American Welfare system.Before long they will have their own area's in which natural Americans will not be welcome.I say this because its happened in the East end of London,where i was born.

Americans,by their nature are more aggressive towards this sort of thing.Don't forget,it wasn't too long ago that they were still lynching black people from trees. There are still a lot of Rednecks in America who wont want to put up with this.The Americans will see it as just more soldiers joining an ever growing army.

Sorry to all you dogooders and lets be understanding and helpful.I've seen this in my own country and it pisses me off when my government says,we need integration,and multiculturalism. Yeah? well i bet you wouldn't want it if they came to live in Epsom and All the other expensive places that you MP's live in.

[JHolmesJr]

Given the feeling's that some Americans harbour (and this would be the same for most of the western county's) against Muslim's and their beliefs.I think this will not end well.I foresee the children having problems at the schools they will attend,with other students,whose parents will object to their children being in the same classes as the Muslim children.Will the school have to change its Religious education classes to accommodate,Mohamed and Allah? Will the school have to have Quaran lessons.

Will the school cafeteria have to change its food items and take pork off of the menu?

Will the girl children be required to still wear the black bin bag?

The guy says he wants to learn English,does he realise that this is not done in 5 minutes.What sort of job would he be able to find? And furthermore who would employ him? There's a lot of parents that have lost their young men in this time of war.Do you think that "Honest Joe Yank"who runs the local auto store (and having lost son/s during this conflict,will happily employ him?

There are a million other reasons why this cannot work.After this guy getting so many knock backs,refusals of employment,and even street insults.What about his wife when (if ever she does) tries to go to the local store(and wears her bin bag)do you think that American wives will treat her as just another wife doing her daily shop?

As the op said,Muslims do NOT want to integrate,they do not want to be part of the western world,even if they say they do.When others arrive there will be a community waiting for them to advise them of every way to screw the American Welfare system.Before long they will have their own area's in which natural Americans will not be welcome.I say this because its happened in the East end of London,where i was born.

Americans,by their nature are more aggressive towards this sort of thing.Don't forget,it wasn't too long ago that they were still lynching black people from trees. There are still a lot of Rednecks in America who wont want to put up with this.The Americans will see it as just more soldiers joining an ever growing army.

Sorry to all you dogooders and lets be understanding and helpful.I've seen this in my own country and it pisses me off when my government says,we need integration,and multiculturalism. Yeah? well i bet you wouldn't want it if they came to live in Epsom and All the other expensive places that you MP's live in.

Bottom line is, Ahmed over here would be wiling to accept $4 an hour whereas a local living there under normal conditions would (rightly) expect to be paid more fairly.

Once again, Ahmed, and the big business lobby that craves cheap labour of this kind, wins.