|
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT — According to the U.S. Department of State, the Biden administration is halting the resettlement of new refugees around the world from Oct. 29 through Jan. 11, 2022, "to prioritize services for thousands of Afghan evacuees who are expected to exit military bases and arrive in cities across the country in the coming months," reports Laura Gómez for the Arizona Mirror. Although the government said it will prioritize certain urgent cases, any pause is troubling, as we noted in a statement yesterday. For more on the resettlement backlog and solutions for rebuilding the pipeline, see our newly posted explainer. ‘AHMAD’ — Austin Landis of Spectrum News tells the story of "Ahmad," a longtime employee of Hamid Karzai International Airport, who in the last days of August directed pilots on several evacuation flights. On Aug. 25, Ahmad left too. But because the U.S. State Department "applied a different standard to Afghans who were flown out of Kabul on non-U.S. military aircraft," thousands remain in limbo at Abu Dhabi’s "temporary camp voluntarily paid for and run by the United Arab Emirates government," Landis explains. Here in the U.S., The Washington Post’s Donna St. George reports that the first Afghan refugee children and teens have recently enrolled in America’s education system. And over the weekend, I wrote about the honor and healing Matt Carpenter and Rick Stockburger, two veterans of the Afghanistan war, have found in helping allies evacuate. Last but not least, in an op-ed for The Christian Post, Pastor Aaron Reyes reflects on how the failures of the Afghan evacuation are connected to an immigration system in need of reform. Here’s today’s collection of local stories:
EUROPE’S CRISIS — Dexter Filkins of The New Yorker breaks down the history of Europe’s migration crisis starting with Belarus. While President Alexander Lukashenka "has publicly denied ... enabling an immigration pipeline to flow into Europe," critics believe it’s the country’s form of payback for the international sanctions. "Lukashenka is not the first national leader to use the threat of unrestrained immigration for political purposes — he’s just the first to actually make good on the promise," explains Filkins. For a visual on the ground, see Vincent Haiges’ heartbreaking photos in Al Jazeera, with text by Katy Fallon. ONE MILLION TRUCK DRIVERS — Per the American Trucking Association, "To keep up with demand over the next decade, trucking will need to recruit nearly one million new drivers to close the gap caused by demand for freight, projected retirements and other issues," Andy J. Semotiuk writes in Forbes. "The industry is raising pay at five times the historic average, but this isn’t just a pay issue," said Bob Costello, the association’s chief economist. "We have an aging workforce, a workforce that is overwhelmingly male[,] and finding ways to address those issues is key to narrowing the shortage." Immigration could be a solution: Semotiuk breaks down three visa options the U.S. government can consider. Thanks for reading, Ali P.S. I just came across it, but love this story about 94-year-old Wanda Traczyk-Stawska: "Despite her advancing years and tiny stature, the Warsaw Uprising veteran has lost none of her fighting spirit when it comes to defending Poland’s presence in the European Union and migrant rights." |
