Up to 40,000 Iraqis seek asylum in EU

[Barrett808]

Source: KUNA

BRUSSELS, Nov 27 (KUNA) -- The Iraqi problem is the largest refugee crisis in the world with 4.5 million Iraqis are either displaced inside Iraq or have fled to neighbouring countries, according to Judith Kumin of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).

She told a meeting with the European Parliaments Delegation for Relations with the countries of the Mashreq Tuesday evening that 20,000 Iraqis applied for asylum in the European Union last year and the number is expected to rise to 40,000 in 2007.

"Conditions for large-scale return of Iraqi refugees are not there as yet. Time has not come as yet to promote return," she said.

Other NGOs referred to the problems that Jordan and Syria, especially, are facing in light of the recent influx of around two million refugees from Iraq into their territories.

They called for a much larger financial contribution from the EU to help with the humanitarian crisis faced by these refugees, and for international recognition of the seriousness of this issue.

Read more: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1860998&Language=en

[humbled_opinion]

1. Wow I guess this is the surge right?

A surge of Iraqi refugees seeks asylum in other countries cause we screwed theirs up.

[NC_Nurse]

2. How many have we taken? Maybe 10 or 20?

Shameless. We fuck up their country, start a bloody civil war, and won't even take in the people who have helped our troops.

[Eurobabe]

3. There are quite a few in southern Germany

and surprisingly they don't hate "us." ('Murikans)

[doc03]

4. I don't understand, Brian Williams on NBC news

tonight said that thousands of Iraqis are returning to Iraq since the surge made the place safe again. :shrug:

[rockybelt]

5. Yes

they're returning because they have ran out of money and they can't work in Syria plus the fact that Syria is forcing them to leave. They have nowhere to go. They are a people without a country thanks to the chimp and the shooter.

[provis99]

6. We screwed their country up

Frankly, I think America is obligated to let in any Iraqi citizen who wants to come to America to escape the chaos. It is terrible that we are foisting a refugee situation we created on countries in Europe and the Middle East. If that means all 25+ million move to the U.S., so be it. We owe them.