Thousands Trapped in Kenyan Camp

America's heightened security in response to September 11 is holding up the flow of refugees into the US. People fleeing from war-torn Sudan and Somalia wait in camps in Kenya for immigration approval and security clearance. A process that once took six months now takes at least a year as officials from the CIA or the FBI compare names and details of refugees with huge databases of suspected terrorists. Some refugees who were approved for entry before September 11 are still waiting. While an anonymous official from the State Department expressed concern over the situation, he noted that the new security measures have placed a tremendous burden on human resources. Meanwhile, refugees suffer and wait as food dwindles, medical clearances expire, and crime erupts. – YaleGlobal

Thousands Trapped in Kenyan Camp

Rachel L. Swarns
Wednesday, January 29, 2003

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