Nearly 12,000 Somali refugees transferred

Hiraan online ^ | 10/08/02 | XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

[ozone1]

Nearly 12,000 Somali refugees transferred within Kenya NAIROBI, Oct 8, 2002 (Xinhua ) - Some 11,800 Somali Bantu refugees have been successfully transferred from the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya to Kakuma camp in the northwestern Turkana District, the United Nations refugee agency said here Tuesday.

The transfer, which took nearly four months to complete, is aimed to facilitate the process of resettling the refugees in the United States, said the George OKoth-Obbo, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"This challenging operation could not have been possible without the support of partners, above all the International Organization for Migration, but not less so the government of Kenya, which provided various administrative support including police officers to escort each and every convoy," he said.

In Kakuma, the Somali Bantu refugees will undergo resettlement processing, including documentation and medical examinations as required by the US immigration, and the first of the refugees accepted are expected to leave for their new home early next year.

The Somali Bantus are a minority in Somalia and their physical, cultural and linguistic characteristics distinguish them from the Cushitic majority.

There are widespread discrimination against the Bantus in Somalia, and many of the Somali Bantu refugees have expressed unwillingness to go back to Somalia, said the representative.

The U.S. agreed to settle the refugees after Mozambique, a southern African country, turned down a resettlement request from UNHCR.

"Considering the security situation and specific protection concerns in their country of origin, repatriation of these refugees back to Somalia in safety and dignity was considered quite unlikely," he said.

[SheLion]

Really? Then why did 1000 move from atlanta to maine for better welfare programs?

What gives? Maine is the 2nd highest taxed state in the union, and one of the poorest. We have the best welfare??? Give me a break. We have homeless living under the Caribou bridge who would LOVE to have the break the influx are receiving. What about our own kind? How about them?

If Maine has the best welfare program..........where is this money coming from? Oh yes, I forgot......we are the 2nd highest taxed state in the Union..........

`sigh.....

If this is how the Maine DemocRATS figure on getting elected into office, we all are in a world of hurt.

[SheLion]

Kennebunkport.

KENNEBUNKPORT? LOL! NO WAY!

[FITZ]

after Mozambique, a southern African country, turned down a resettlement request

And why did they????

[HennepinPrisoner]

Maybe yes, maybe no. People who have the gumption to emmigrate tend to have the gumption to find some way to earn their keep.

Yeah, right...and I'm the Queen of England.

[SheLion]

After 18 months, 90% are still unemployed and the ones that will work don't want to work unless it's between 10am and 2pm.

Pure Heaven! And our farmers up here work from 5am until 9 - 10pm at night harvesting.

[SheLion]

Hundreds march in solidarity with Somalis is Lewiston
By Associated Press, 10/13/2002 15:25

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) Hundreds of people joined a peaceful march Sunday to show support for Somalian immigrants in Maine's second-largest city, whose mayor has raised concerns that local services will be strained if many more Somalis arrive.

Police said about 250 people, most of them longer-term residents of the city, participated in a five-block walk from the Calvary United Methodist Church to a mosque where Lewiston's Somalis worship. Some of the participants gave speeches expressing solidarity with the new arrivals at the mosque.

One of two protesters who identified themselves as pro-white held a sign along the march route that said, ''How long will it take before Lewiston is like Somalia?''

Mohammed Abdi, a Somali elder who participated the march, said one of the main messages expressed was that Lewiston will benefit from new diversity in its population with the arrival of the Somalis.

''We are one people, we are one community,'' said Abdi, adding that the United States ''is a country made up of immigrants, and one immigrant group came before another. And the Somalis just happened to come ... now.''

Abdi said the Somalis were outnumbered about 3-1 by longer-term residents of Lewiston in the march.

''I think it will strengthen the community more. It will bring the people closer together. It was a matter of solidarity and a show of unity,'' Abdi said. ''I think it's positive.''

Abdi was one of the local Somali leaders who met with Mayor Larry Raymond on Friday to ease strained feelings following the mayor's released of an open letter in which he warned of a strain on resources if more Somalis move to the city of 36,000.

The letter said Lewiston, which has absorbed more than 1,000 Somalis in 18 months, cannot continue absorbing newcomers ''without negative results for all.''

Somali elders responded by lashing out at Raymond as an ''ill-informed leader'' who should have sought a private meeting with them instead.

Abdi said after Sunday's march that the march, envisioned earlier as ''a get-together with the local people,'' became more urgent after the mayor released his letter.

''We had a little walk planned before the present controversy,'' Mark Schlotterbeck, city missionary for the Calvary United Methodist Church, told the Lewiston Sun Journal before Sunday's event.

''Now lots of people are going to walk: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Unitarians and civil rights teams from local schools.''

Hundreds march in solidarity with Somalis is Lewiston

[HennepinPrisoner]

I was hoping to move there when the Mexicans take over the Southwest and convert it to Aztlan.

What so you mean WHEN? Except for the name change to Aztlan, it's already happened.....Houston and Dallas have already been Balkanized.

[Consort]

Soon, massive White Flight will happen in Maine just as it always has in other parts of the US. The new Somalie neighbors will blast their boomboxes, raise and pluck chickens, etc to speed up the exodus, neighborhood by neighborhood. Works every time. "As Maine goes....it's going".

[SheLion]

The Somalis that shot down our guys in BlackHawk Down were trained by Bin-Laden. Somali 'refugees' are involved in extremist activity in Europe as well. AND, Mohammed Atta, one of the 9/11 pilots stopped over in Portland Maine the night of 9/10. What was he doing in Portland Maine of all places, the night before the hijacking? Staying with 'friends' no doubt...

And we wonder how they can come in and take over? Is there any doubt? Death threats? Lawmakers in their pockets? No, there is no wonder. Not in my mind anymore.

This is bigger then we are. ozone, I give up. The Mainer has no voice in this. They laugh at us, and suck our blood.

[ozone1]

There is a hugh amount of money going to the organizations that resettle these people. The welfare industry has found its new cash cow.

[FITZ]

After 18 months, 90% are still unemployed

A little different than previous immigrant groups. I know my Irish ancestors had to take hard jobs to come here ---I'm glad they didn't have welfare then. This group is another group destined to failure because they'll get used to project living and welfare, and watching Jerry Springer all day for something to do.

[SheLion]

What political party is responsible for this disgusting fiasco? What Administration agreed to the absorption of these cockroaches? I was in large part ignorant of this issue. When the hell did this happen, and is there any way to mount an organized effort to stop it?

JOHN BALDACCI AND ALLEN. BALDACCI IS RUNNING FOR OUR NEXT GOVERNOR! HE AND ALLEN ARE WORKING WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO BRING THE IMMIGRANTS IN!

Both Democrats.

BALDACCI AND ALLEN SEEK FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS INFLUX OF SOMALI IMMIGRANTS

[Black Agnes]

250 out of 36,000 doesn't sound like very many. Kind of 'half hearted' if you ask me.

[HennepinPrisoner]

Some of the participants gave speeches expressing solidarity with the new arrivals at the mosque.

Oh, that gives me the warm fuzzies. /sarcasm

[Black Agnes]

Project living, welfare, watching Jerry Springer and going to Mosque to hear they need to kill Christians and Jews...just like the Somali refugees in Europe now.

[SheLion]

There is a hugh amount of money going to the organizations that resettle these people. The welfare industry has found its new cash cow.

ozone, I am worn out on this issue. It just gets worse. And the Mayor apologized to them. I still say he received death threats. Why else would he make an about face?

The Mayor hit the nail on the head: We can't AFFORD anymore immigrants! :(

[SheLion]

Oh, that gives me the warm fuzzies. /sarcasm

It's like everyone voting and passing BOND issues. They think the Government is paying for the BOND issues. Well, let me tell them: "we" are paying for the bond issues.

[HennepinPrisoner]

This group is another group destined to failure because they'll get used to project living and welfare, and watching Jerry Springer all day for something to do.

When I lived in Minneapolis (AKA the top destination for Somalian immigrants), I had to walk past a group of these guys every time I walked to the grocery store. They were extremely threatening and intimidating to the folks who passed them by.

I always carried pepper spray with me just in case.

[1234]

"The transfer, which took nearly four months to complete, is aimed to facilitate the process of resettling the(11,800) refugees in the United States

SEND'EM DIRECTLY TO LEWISTON, ME. it's time to test mass acculturation of the librals' 'children' in a 'liberal college town'.