On Monday a bipartisan group of over 20 Representatives from across the United States sent a letter to President Obama advocating for the establishment of in-country refugee processing at the US Consulate in Erbil, Iraq. This summer in-country processing of refugees and internally displaced people was ceased out of Embassy Baghdad because of threats from the Islamic State (IS). The letter urges the Obama Administration to resume in-country Priority-2 (P-2) processing for currently eligible individuals, as well as to extend access to religious and ethnic minorities currently under threat from IS. The US Consulate in Erbil is located close to refugee and internally displaced populations; establishing P-2 processing there would thus critically enable humanitarian efforts in Iraq.
Click here to view the letter and read the full Press Release from the Office of Congressman Juan Vargas.
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