Do we know what the vetting process entails for Syrian refugees

[Anonymous]

I am all for allowing them in here. It's the humane thing to do . However, before I show my support I want assurances about this vetting system. Do they have some sort of database to check on these people? Did France have a vetting system?

[jsteele]

Complicated questions to answer. I'm going to bed. Beware of simple answers.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you should just google how the asylum system works, and how it works for Syrian refugees. I don't know why you think you'd find an expert at midnight on DCUM on a topic you could very easily look up.

[Anonymous]

See details on 12:46 thread here:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/513315.page

But Muslima in what is now the last post on that thread has it right. If you are terrorist trying to get into the US there are many way easier ways to do it then to go through the US asylum process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:See details on 12:46 thread here:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/513315.page

But Muslima in what is now the last post on that thread has it right. If you are terrorist trying to get into the US there are many way easier ways to do it then to go through the US asylum process.

It's the 21:46 poster (me) and you can learn a lot at http://www.refugees.org/about-us/faqs.html

I work with immigrants and the details have not been worked out but generally in a situation like this the population would be fast tracked due to the political nature of the issue but that would only impact other refugee petitions or other uscis processing times. USCIS is fee funded, not appropriated. It generally takes over a year to earn a refugee visa, it is not an easy process.

Of the 750,000 refugees admitted to the us since 9/11 not one has been responsible for a terrorist attack. The vetting process is not simple or easy and it is not the problem here.

[Muslima]

The United States does have a rigorous process for vetting refugee applicants, which includes several in-person interviews by U.S. officials, security checks by multiple agencies, significant documentation, and a health screening. This process, which is the most rigorous vetting in the world, takes over a year. The process requires refugees to be vetted by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, the Department of Homeland Security and the Departments of State and Defense. This review process includes biometric and biographic checks, interviews by specially trained officers who scrutinize the applicant’s explanation of individual circumstances to ensure the applicant is a genuine refugee and is not known to present security concerns to the United States. The process also includes an additional layer of enhanced classified screening measures for those refugees from Syria. In addition, the U.S. Government prioritizes admitting the most vulnerable Syrians, particularly female-headed households, children, survivors of torture, and individuals with severe medical conditions. In fact, of the 12 million Syrians displaced from their homes half are children.

Source: http://www.casey.senate.gov/newsroom/releases/casey-statement-on-admission-of-syrian-refugees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you should just google how the asylum system works, and how it works for Syrian refugees. I don't know why you think you'd find an expert at midnight on DCUM on a topic you could very easily look up.

The asylum and refugee processes are completely different. An asylum seeker has feet on the ground in the us and claims asylum so they are here prior to being vetted at all. Refugee status is determined by the UN.

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/17/3-important-facts-about-how-the-u-s-resettles-syrian-refugees/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2015/11/17/senior-obama-officials-have-warned-of-challenges-in-screening-refugees-from-syria/

[Anonymous]

I'm confused as well since everything I read says it takes about 3 years. So how will they come to the U.S. In 2016?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused as well since everything I read says it takes about 3 years. So how will they come to the U.S. In 2016?

They've been in the pipeline and coming since 2010.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused as well since everything I read says it takes about 3 years. So how will they come to the U.S. In 2016?

They will likely be fast tracked for political reasons. This means other immigrant petitions and uscis processing times will likely be delayed, not that the checks will be less rigorous. The people most likely to suffer as a result of this decision are other immigrants (particularly refugee and asylee petitioners) who are applying for statuses or who have pending requests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I'm confused as well since everything I read says it takes about 3 years. So how will they come to the U.S. In 2016?


They will likely be fast tracked for political reasons. This means other immigrant petitions and uscis processing times will likely be delayed, not that the checks will be less rigorous. The people most likely to suffer as a result of this decision are other immigrants (particularly refugee and asylee petitioners) who are applying for statuses or who have pending requests.

There is no fast tracking. I knew of a congressman who work for five years to reunite a family. Seriously if you don't know what you are talking about just at in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

They are free to roam while being vetted. Why worry?

[Anonymous]

I believe this exact topic will be covered on the Diane Rehm show today.

[Anonymous]

NPR covered this last night. An immigration attorney who represents asylum seekers says it's the most thorough process you can imagine. Then a guy from Rand conceded that while the vetting IS thorough, he explained that Syrians cannot be properly vetted since we don't have people on the ground in Syria to generate sufficient intelligence to generate the watch lists/terrorist lists like we have from other countries...which makes sense to me.