US lags on pledge to admit Iraq refugees

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http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/07/09/us_lags_on_iraqi_refugee_admissions/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Nation

US lags on pledge to admit Iraq refugees

By Matthew Lee, Associated Press Writer | July 9, 2007

WASHINGTON --Despite promising to admit 7,000 Iraqi refugees to the U.S. by the end of September, the Bush administration has allowed in just 133 over the past nine months.

As Iraqis continue to flee their country in record numbers, adding to what is already the largest refugee population in the world, U.S. efforts to accept them are moving at a snail's pace. Officials predict that at most only 2,000, or less than 30 percent, of the 7,000 can be processed by Sept. 30.

The delays are due to enhanced security vetting by the Homeland Security Department, which is overseeing the program to take Iraqis referred by the United Nations for resettlement in the U.S., officials said Monday.

Iraqis are subject to more background checks than people from other countries and must undergo extensive individual interviews to qualify for admission due to fears that some seeking to enter the United States may be terrorists or other undesirables.

"While we want to meet our humanitarian obligations here, we also want to make sure we do so in such a way that our borders and the American people are protected," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "It's a big task."

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