This is part of Pres. Obama’s plan to increase the current refugee cap from 70,000 to 85,000 this year, including at least 10,000 from Syria. In order to reach his goal Pres. Obama has shortened the refugee processing time from 18-24 months down to just three months.
This is in opposition to the warning from FBI Director, James Comey, who expressed concern that the U.S. does not have the ability to thoroughly screen the Syrian refugees for terrorist ties even through the lengthy 18-24-month process. CIA Director, John Brennan, has also recently confirmed that ISIS is training operatives to enter the U.S. through the refugee program.
Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, has also said that the majority of people leaving Syria are leaving for economic and education opportunities, which would make them migrants and not refugees.
In order to reach his 10,000 goal Pres. Obama has asked private companies to commit money and other assistance to the Refugee Resettlement Programs. Currently at least 15 companies have promised to give aid including: Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Google, HP, MasterCard, and IBM according to Bloomberg News.
Goldman Sachs has already contributed $4.5 million and says it plans to underwrite more programs to help refugees learn English and gain skills needed for employment. Alphabet’s Google has said they will provide consulting and technology to nonprofits that help refugees worldwide gain internet access and education. Even Airbnb has said they will donate credits for relief workers to book housing through its site.
Many of these companies have supported increasing legal immigration in the past in an effort to increase worker competition and drive down wages. HP is one of the many companies who have misused the H-1B visa to replace American workers for cheaper, foreign labor.
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