OCTOBER 2006

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Greektown Casino Guarantees You Will Always Find At Least Five Tables With A Minimum Bet Of Just $5 24 Hours A Day / 7 Days A Week Even On The Weekends! 1-888-771-4FUN (4386) •Over 80 Tables! •Over 2,300 Slots! •Largest Poker Room in Detroit! •Over 15 Restaurants in the Greektown District! Located in the heart of the Historic Greektown District 555 East Lafayette Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226 www.greektowncasino.com REFUGEES continued from 32 Chaldeans have fled Iraq since 1988, dramatically increasing during Saddam Hussein’s regime. The estimated total ranges from 80,000 to 100,000 individuals. And there have been many more people who have been silent in their departures. Most have taken refuge in Syria and Jordan, as well as Turkey, Lebanon and several European countries. There are many Chaldeans applying for asylum and refugee status. More than 1,200 cases have been received in the first wave of the committee’s efforts. One of the committee’s goals is to make the immigration process for refugee families easier and more effective. There are several steps in this application process. First, one must identify if the applicant is seeking asylum or refugee status. Immigrants applying for asylum file their application for refuge in the country that they occupy. Therefore, they have already settled in the country of refuge, but seek to obtain legal residency in that country. Those applying for refugee status are individuals who have fled or escaped their country of origin for fear of persecution. They are the applicants who wish to someday settle in the U.S., but are still in transit. Individuals seeking refugee status must select one of three dimensions that apply to their situation. The three dimensions, or criteria, include Priority 1 (P-1), Priority 2 (P-2) and Priority 3 (P- 3). P-1 involves a referral in which an organization prepares a case on behalf of the individual and presents it to the State Department for referral and approval. P-2 pertains to the humanitarian need of individuals seeking admittance as a group. This process requires political support. P-3 is an application for family reunification, meaning that the applicant is seeking to be reunited with family members already settled in the U.S. Among the 1,200 applicants, 85 percent claim they have at least one relative living in the U.S. THE FIRST WAVE The Committee on Immigration and Refugees has been working diligently to assist their first wave of applicants in obtaining official admittance to the U.S. Kassab said the arrival process is starting to take shape. “We do not have an exact timing as to when the refugees will arrive, but the interview processes are beginning,” Kassab said. Candidates must pass an interview and meet United Nations guidelines for refugee status before they will be able to settle in the U.S. Eligible candidates will be able to settle six months from the date of their interview. “We are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel,” Kassab said. “And we are continuing to see more light with every step of the process.” The committee’s efforts are indeed having an effect on the immigration process. P-1 applications had been severed for 3.5 years. However, due to the persistence of the committee and the thorough preparation of the cases presented to the Department of Homeland Security, P-1 has been reactivated. In the case of asylum status, most applicants have been denied in the past for many reasons. The committee persevered with the help of Senator Carl Levin, who introduced a bill to reverse the denials. Senate Bill S2611 has passed the first round of votes and will appear in front of Congress. There is much lobbying that needs to take place in order to pass this bill into law, but it has successfully made it through half of the process thus far. There are an additional 800 cases waiting to be processed for refugee status consideration. Those applicants will be considered Wave 2. Kassab remains enthusiastic about the future. “Christians are the flowers of Iraq,” he said. “They can truly grow and thrive here with the help of the community.” For more information on the Committee on Immigration and Refugees, visit http://www.chaldeanfederation.org. New forms are available, but only for those who have not already applied. YOU CAN HELP On December 1, the CFA will host an event at Shenandoah Country Club to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The fundraising dinner will include videos, photos and news from refugees and their families. Tickets are $250. Visit http://www.chaldeanfederation.org for details. 50 CHALDEAN NEWS OCTOBER 2006
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OCTOBER 2006

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