Posted on 02/16/2008 5:38:35 PM PST by the scotsman
'Up to 1,500 Iraqis are to be airlifted to Britain after ministers agreed to grant sanctuary to the interpreters who worked for our forces. In a multi-million pound operation starting in April, the translators and their families will be flown here in groups of 100 every fortnight until the autumn.
They will be transported in military planes to an RAF base in the South-East where they will be processed by immigration officials. They will then go to a hotel west of London for a few days before being resettled in two northern cities. There they will receive free housing and benefits to help them start their new lives.
Details of the highly-sensitive operation are being finalised by the Home Office and Border and Immigration Agency. It is understood officials are liaising with the police about possible "community tensions" caused by the mass arrival of so many Iraqis. There are said to be concerns about the background of a number of family members due to come here under the resettlement scheme.
A political row erupted last year when Gordon Brown refused sanctuary to 91 interpreters said to be facing death threats because of their work for UK forces in Iraq. Insurgent death squads have murdered scores of local translators who they accuse of "collaborating". Many of the survivors begged for asylum for themselves and their families as UK forces began to pull out of the country. But the 91 interpreters still employed by the Army last summer were initially told they would not receive any special treatment, despite the terrible risks they took.
The Government later bowed to pressure and promised that Iraqis who risked their lives to work for us would be allowed to settle in Britain.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Apologies...
Here is the link:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=514807&in_page_id=1770
No problem but they should throw out ten radical Pakistani ingrates for every Iraqi interpreter they bring in.
Regards
And for every family member, and I’m with you, great idea.
They should stay in Iraq and fight for their own freedom.
I hear what you are saying donna however these guys helped the Brits which means they are most likely from Basra in southern Iraq. Probably the most dangerous place left in Iraq.
Their lives aren't worth 2 cents in Basra and they have been fighting more than most for a better Iraq for years. The Brits are lowering their presence in Basra as we speak. Interpreters are the only exception I would even consider.
Regards
“Iraqis who risked their lives to work for us would be allowed to settle in Britain.’”
Good
I’ll support any “soldier” who fights against terrorism.
News such as this doesn’t increase one’s confidence that things are going well in Iraq. I thought the Iraqi police and military were becoming competent and taking over security in many areas.
The problem is that the British weren’t really that aggressive in “cleaning up” the mess in Basra the past 5 years and the sh!t is about to hit the fan.
True enough.
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