News from the Week of May 30, 2016

Here is another round-up of what we’ve been reading and watching this week, from in the news and around the web:

One thousand refugees are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea this week, as warmer weather is bringing more overcrowded boats attempting to make the dangerous crossing from Libya to Europe. NGOs and volunteer organizations assisting migrants and refugees stranded at sea are criticizing the European Union for not providing safe avenues of migration for people fleeing war and other crises.

Greece is also under fire for terrible conditions at new refugee centers housing asylum-seekers who were recently moved from the Greek border camp of Idomeni. Tineke Strik, a Parliamentary Assembly migration expert on the Council of Europe described conditions in the places she visited, “there was no privacy, no fire safety, no light and no ventilation and people have no information on their situation or their prospects." Strik called it “a missed opportunity to create decent facilities that meet international standards."

On the domestic front, Reuters reported that the United States has approved 4,700 Syrian refugees who are awaiting resettlement to the country, while an additional 7,900 are awaiting security review. This is encouraging news given that the Obama Administration had been falling behind its goal of resettling 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year. As Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said in an interview, “The Syrian situation is the most pressing humanitarian crisis of our time and if we do not respond in a positive and proactive way, we’re going to have future generations asking, ‘Where were you?’”

In response to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory’s recent calls to stop Syrian refugees from coming to his state, and a bill in the NC House to withdraw state support for resettlement, retired Marine officer and VFAI member Scott Speelman penned an article arguing that such a policy runs counter to our national character. “During my time in uniform, I was fighting not only to protect American citizens and our homeland but also to preserve and protect its ideals – ideals that this bill runs contrary to on every level.”

Despite the challenges Syrian refugees face, some are optimistic about life in America. In this short video clip, refugees who resettled in Connecticut, a state that has already taken in over 100 Syrian refugees, expressed gratitude for the opportunities they were given in the United States. This week Human Rights First also released a video of a Syrian refugee, Sana, who tells the story of her family’s persecution, her asylum case in the United States, and how people have welcomed her despite what you see on the news.

We continue to follow the #5YearsWeFled series, a collection of interviews that show the precarious situation of Syrian refugees as they travel across the Mediterranean and then from country to country in search of peace and security.

Finally, The Ellen Show featured a U.S. Military translator out of northern Afghanistan named Naqeeb who shared his story of survival, including the hope that Ellen DeGeneres gave him and how she made him smile again. In addition the many Afghan interpreters and translators like Naqeeb, a growing number of Afghan civilians, more than 1.2 million, are internally displaced due to the ongoing conflict. Many of those refugees live in dire conditions without adequate access to food and shelter, and children are often left with no choice but to work to help put food on the table.  

Have reactions to share, or want to learn how you can be involved in our efforts to raise veteran voices in support of refugees? Find us on Facebook or Twitter, or contact us at [email protected].