Admitting Syrian Refugees

For John, BLUF:  Calling Barney Frank for a Planet Check.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Per this article, "Congressman:  Refusing Syrian Refugees Hurts National Security", by Mr Nicholas Ballasy, the President is right and Candidate Donald Trump is wrong regarding Syrian refugees.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said public opinion is shifting toward supporting the resettlement of the 10,000 Syrian refugees the Obama administration is seeking to allow in the U.S.

“I spoke out against my home state governor’s calls to not take Syrian refugees and at the time it was an unpopular position – just a couple weeks ago.  There’s been extensive polling on that in Massachusetts and somewhere in the range of 60-70 percent of folks were against accepting refugees when the governor first said he was opposed to it himself.  Not only has the governor now been coming around to my position but recent polling shows people in Massachusetts have been, as well,” Moulton, an Iraq War veteran, said on a conference call.

“Once people understand the vetting process is strict and it has been successful in the past, and once people really think about the national security implications of a policy change, I think folks will see those who support the continued resettlement of refugees are on the right side of this issue and, of course, on the right side if history.  But it’s going to take some time and education.”

Maybe in Massachusetts, although I am doubtful, but not across the Fruited Plain.  A recent poll showed over 60% of Hispanics and over 50% of Blacks supported the Donald Trump position—Let's look at this before we let in more Syrians.  Of course we don't actually let in that many Syrians.  Number 7 in the last Fiscal Year.  See the table below.

As for the strictness of the vetting process, it actually doesn't look all that strict.  And, the recent terrorist event in San Bernardino shows that the screening has been pretty pitifully weak.♠

And, if Congressman Moulton really wants to help refugees he should move a bill in the US Congress to send more money overseas to the refugee camps in Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other places, to help the existing millions of refugees who have fled their own nations.

Thanks to a tip from someone else I found the website where you can slice and dice the refugee numbers.♥

Here it is.

Here are the numbers admitted to the United States from 30 Sep 2014 to 30 Sep 2015 (Federal Fiscal Year 2015).

Ser	NATION	REFUGEES	PERCENT
1	Burma	18,440	26.25%
2	Iraq	12,827	18.26%
3	Somalia	8,869	12.62%
4	Dem Rep Congo	7,883	11.22%
5	Bhutan	5,775	8.22%
6	Iran	3,109	4.43%
7	Syria	1,682	2.39%
8	Eritrea	1,604	2.28%
9	Cuba	1,590	2.26%
10	Sudan	1,585	2.26%

This add up to 63,364 of the total 70,251 refugees admitted to the United States for Federal Fiscal Year 2015. If someone wants all the numbers, the remaining 7,000, just EMail me.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Not a "shooting" and not "gun violence".  It was a terrorist event.
♥  Keep in mind, refugees are NOT the same as migrants.  Per Wikipedia, "A refugee, according to the Geneva Convention on Refugees is a person who is outside their country of citizenship because they have well-founded grounds for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, and is unable to obtain sanctuary from their home country or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country; or in the case of not having a nationality and being outside their country of former habitual residence as a result of such event, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to their country of former habitual residence."