Human Rights First Welcomes Bipartisan Bill to Protect Iraqi Refugees

Filed under: General — shadow @ 5:00 pm

Human Rights First Welcomes Bipartisan Bill to Protect Iraqi Refugees
Proposals Would Extend a “Long-Overdue Lifeline”

More About Refugee Protection

Human Rights First today welcomed The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act, co-sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) which would provide safe haven to those Iraqis who are at risk because of their work with the United States or with U.S. organizations.

This bill will extend a long-overdue lifeline to Iraqi refugees who have fled from persecution and danger, said Eleanor Acer, Director of the Refugee Protection Program at Human Rights First. I hope this legislation spurs action within the administration, which has yet to respond to this growing crisis with the necessary scale or urgency.

Senators Kennedy and Smith introduced the legislation in anticipation of World Refugee Day on June 20, the date set aside to focus global attention on the plight of the world s refugees and their struggles against oppression and persecution. The Kennedy-Smith bill would: Full Story