Iraqi Refugee Crisis and HR 6496

On July 15th, as Congressmen Alcee Hastings and John Dingel reintroduced HR 6496 they “lauded” the work of NGO’s who have supported legislative action from the US government. Among those recognized for their contribution was Pax Christi USA. According to Network, this bill is the best legislative attempt to date to deal with the worsening Iraqi refugee crisis. As of this writing there are no co-sponsors from New Jersey. Please contact your congressman and urge him to support this legislation.

About the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
There are currently 5 million Iraqi’s who have been displaced, internally and externally, due to the ongoing violence in Iraq. Of the 2.4 million who have left the country few consider returning to Iraq an option.

Iraqi refugees are among the most traumatized in modern history. It is estimated that 80% have experienced torture, extortion or the violent death of a family member. The children are the most seriously affected.

The United States Government, under previous legislation has allowed for up to 12,000 visas to be issued by this September. To date only 4,700 have actually been processed. The USCCB is calling for an allotment of at least 100,000 visas for next year.

For more information on the Iraqi refugee crisis you can go to these links

USCCB Report, Escaping Mayhem and Murder: Iraqi Refugees in the Middle East

Refugees International The Iraqi Displacement Crisis

For more information on the bill and a complete list of co-sponsors click here


To find your congressman’s information click here and type in your zip code

To contact your representative through the Network website click here