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U.S: Thousands of Iraqi refugees arrive in U.S
Wed. August 20, 2008 08:19 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. -
(SomaliNet) As part of a nationwide resettlement programme to bring 12,000 Iraqis to the United States by the end of next month, thousands of Iraqi refugees have arrived in the United States, officials said.
About a quarter of the 9,000 Iraqi refugees already here arrived over the past month, according to a spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR. Most come from secondary countries including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.
A resettlement programme run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden has received five Iraqi families in recent months - a total of 19 people - and more are expected, according to executive director Kevin Hickey.
"It's picking up," he said.
New Jersey - and the New York metropolitan area - are not usually major destinations for refugee resettlement because of the high cost of living and already-overburdened social service system typical of urban areas. Generally, most refugees are sent to smaller towns and cities across the US, officials say.
The US government has agreed to accept 12,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of its fiscal year on September 30.
An additional 5,000 are being sent here under a special visa programme for Iraqis who have worked with the US military, according to a spokesman for the US Department of State.
News Category: World
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