Reuters JE / SS /
The US State Department announced that it would suspend for 90 days the admission program for Iraqi refugees “who helped in the American war effort.”
The ministry said that this decision came after the authorities revealed on Friday that the program in question had been violated in an attempt to steal refugee files.
Acting Secretary of State Daniel Smith said the authorities needed to study “weaknesses” in Iraqi refugee programs, but insisted that the broader refugee program remained secure.
The special Iraqi refugee program was established in the years of the George Bush presidency, and was designed to reward Iraqis who worked as informants or translators for the United States during the war there, as they often took great personal risks and became targets of revenge for helping the Americans.
The Washington Times said that tens of thousands of asylum applications have been processed through this program over the years.
Source: “The Washington Times”
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