Latest

Psaki claims reason only five Ukrainian refugees have been welcomed to America is because they need to fill out paperwork

March 19, 2022 | | Print Article

As Europe faces the most crushing refugee crisis since World War II, and despite President Joe Biden promising that the United States will welcome Ukrainian refugees “with open arms,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki claims the reason only seven Ukrainians — yes, you read that right, seven — have been accepted into the U.S. since the beginning of Russia’s attack is because they first need to file the paperwork for the appropriate programs.

“We are still implementing our immigration laws at the border,” Psaki said. “That means that Title 42 is in place, and for individuals who come through abnormal migration, we approach that through the same laws and implementation.”

“When the president says he would welcome refugees, of course he would, but they have to apply through the refugee programs,” Psaki said.

Of the seven Ukrainians who made it to the States, at least five have been detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centers, according to Newsweek.

When asked if detaining them didn’t constitute going back on the President’s promise, Psaki stated: “We implement our immigration laws across the board, no matter what country you come from, and that has been our case and our approach from the beginning.”

It’s a difficult answer to accept given the status of the U.S. border with Mexico, which saw more than 2 million unauthorized migrants cross into the States in 2021, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

It is especially difficult to swallow when one remembers that the U.S. welcomed with open arms more than 76,000 Afghan refugees since its disastrous withdrawal from the terrorist-infested nation. More than 68,000 of those refugees have settled in communities across the country thanks to Operation Allies Welcome, PBS reported in February.

But somehow, even as small allied nations such as Poland and Hungary are desperately trying to accommodate as many of the more than 3 million Ukrainians fleeing  Russian aggression during an invasion that we are told could escalate into bio-chemical or even nuclear warfare, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on the proper forms is a concern of the Biden administration.

The Daily Mail explains the process for applying for refugee or asylum status:

The process for refugee resettlement begins with getting a referral from the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). To get a referral, applicants need to contact their nearest office of UNCHR, the UN’s Refugee Agency.

If USRAP gives them a referral, they need to fill out an application and then undergo an interview by a customs officer who determines eligibility and considers the conditions of the person’s country of origin and credibility, as well as a security check.

 

The process then goes on to include “a medical exam, a cultural orientation and a loan for travel to America. They can also fill out separate forms that allow them to work as soon as they arrive in the US.”

“Title 42” refers to a program started under the Trump administration that allows the government “power to prohibit, in whole or in part, the introduction of persons and property” in order to stop the spread of a contagious disease, such as COVID-19.

Again, it is difficult to see how this is in play now, with desperate Ukrainians’ lives on the line, when evacuees from Kabul were not required to have a negative COVID test, according to US News and World Report.

So far, there seems to be no way to accomplish for the Ukrainians what the same administration was quickly able to do for Afghan refugees.

“Right now, the US is not expediting applicants from Ukraine during the conflict, but Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas said earlier this week that they are considering a plan to fast track Ukrainian applications,” Daily Mail reports.

Never fear, though. Psaki assures us the U.S. is looking at options.

“Welcoming refugees means applying through the refugee process,” Psaki restated, “and again, as I’ve said in here, we are looking at a range of options, including providing a broad range of humanitarian assistance to the countries where the vast majority of refugees are going.”

Melissa Fine
Latest posts by Melissa Fine (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles