Welcoming Iraqi Refugees

Today, Secretary Rice and I appointed two experienced leaders to serve as senior advisors for Iraqi Refugee Affairs within our Departments. These individuals will report directly to us and guide our efforts to re-settle Iraqi citizens seeking asylum in the United States. (DOS, DHS)

Welcoming refugees is part of our great American tradition as a nation of hope, freedom, and religious tolerance. Indeed, we have moved expeditiously to welcome Iraqi refugees. To date, we have re-settled more than 940 Iraqis and we expect that number to climb. We’ve also conducted or scheduled interviews with every Iraqi refugee for whom we have received a request from the Department of State – currently more than 4,300 individuals.

We are committed to accelerating these efforts. At the same time, however, we must be absolutely certain that terrorists or others bearing ill will against the United States do not attempt to take advantage of our refugee program to gain access to our country. Unfortunately, terrorists have a long history of exploiting other nation’s refugee programs.

We have a moral obligation to help the people of Iraq, especially those individuals assisting coalition forces and putting their own lives at risk. But we also have a responsibility to prevent terrorists from infiltrating our borders. Our new Iraqi Refugee Czars will make sure we meet both of these objectives, and that our re-settlement process moves forward swiftly and with our highest priority. We welcome your comments and appreciate your time.

Michael Chertoff