In The News

Denmark Secretly Evacuates Iraqi Aides From Basra

Fred Attewill July 24, 2007
Countries with troops in Iraq rely on Iraqis for many essential tasks, from driving to translating. Insurgents often target such Iraqis with violence, accusing them of collaborating with coalition forces. Denmark, which will withdraw troops from Iraq soon, secretly evacuated 200 interpreters from Basra to Denmark, offering them asylum. Since the invasion began in March 2003, millions of Iraqis...

Sarkozy's Victory; Ca Y'est, C'est Fini!!!

June 5, 2007
Nicolas Sarkozy, the son of a Hungarian immigrant to France, campaigned for the French presidency on promises to restrict immigration. Sarkozy policies would limit benefits for immigrants and discourage applicants who cannot provide “qualified labor,” reports this editorial from the Daily Trust in Abuja, Nigeria. After his election, Sarkozy also promised to serve all of France and selected a...

Trading Civil War for Small-Town Sweden

Charles Hawley May 29, 2007
Almost 4 million Iraqis have left their homes, fleeing sectarian violence in Iraq. Millions of refugees have fled to neighboring countries of Jordan and Syria, but growing numbers look to the stability of the West. Iraqi security, language and computer workers who assisted US troops shortly after the invasion in 2003 quickly became targets for assassination. Asylum policies vary widely...

Solar Flashlight Lets Africa’s Sun Deliver the Luxury of Light to the Poorest Villages

Will Connors May 21, 2007
Items taken for granted in one country can be a life-changing force in poor nations. After learning that almost one third of the world’s population lacks access to lighting, Mark Bent, a former foreign-service officer, arranged design of a solar flashlight, manufacturing in China and distribution of more than 30,000 units to Africans in refugee camps and rural villages. The flashlights allow...

Australia and US to Swap Refugees

Barbara McMahon April 23, 2007
Australia and the US have agreed to a program for exchanging each other’s asylum seekers, with the hopes that geographic distance will discourage dangerous voyages and illegal immigration. The US will handle Australia’s asylum seekers from places like Sri Lanka and Burma; Australia will handle the US detainees from Haiti and Cuba. Though the program, the US and Australia will process and resettle...

Future of the World Court in Balance

Nick Grono March 7, 2007
A treaty among 104 countries formed the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate atrocities of international concern that go uninvestigated by national court systems. Most of the world agrees that such atrocities, labeled by the US as genocide, have occurred in the impoverished Darfur region of western Sudan since 2003. After rebel activity in the region, the Sudanese government and...

More Children Seeking Asylum in Finland

Katja Martelius March 2, 2007
Every year, hundreds of children illegally enter Finland seeking asylum – most from conflict zones likes Afghanistan, Iran or Somalia. They leave their families behind, paying as much as US$20,000 to a smuggler and traveling for months to reach their new European home. The government rejects about half of the applications for asylum, but allows a few to stay – at least for a while. The government...