Not in our backyard

Four years after the start of the invasion of Iraq, that country is now experiencing a refugee crisis. Refugees International reports that it is the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world.

At the start of the conflict, many refugee and relief organizations were poised to act, expecting the largely urban population to flee from Baghdad, in particular, into neighboring countries. In the immediate aftermath, that didn't happen and, as the country grew less stable and their mandate remained unclear, many refugee relief organizations pulled out.

Yesterday Frank Rich wrote in the NYT Op-Ed section that an estimated 2 million Iraqis had fled their country and another two million remain displaced within it--totaling 15% of the total population. Relief Net also commented on the the urgency of the issue earlier this month.

We don't often hear about the millions of desperate Iraqis who have packed up their things and moved to escape the chaos around them. And it turns out there is a reason: only 466 Iraqis have been given asylum in the US since the invasion. For comparison, Sweden, which was not part of the invading coalition, has accepted 25,000. And neighboring countries in the region, such as Syria and Egypt, have absorbed tens of thousands more.

The Iraqi people are being blamed for the chaos in their country, while the US has blatantly failed in its obligation to replace Saddam's government with functioning institutions--not to mention ensuring security. It is unconscionable that we as a country would turn away those who are forced to flee due to a security vacuum of our own making. This is about basic accountability. Iraqis are being turned away not because of security because we as a country don't want to face their pain and the results of the war on our doorstep.

Frank Rich, who of course makes his living from eloquent writing, sums it up better:
"While it seems but a dim memory now, once upon a time some Iraqis did greet the Americans as liberators. Today, in fact, it is just such Iraqis--not the local Iraqi insurgents...--who do want to follow us home. That we are slamming the door in their faces tells you all you need to know about the real morality behind Operation Iraqi Freedom."