Posted by Ann Corcoran on August 27, 2016
This is a short news item at New England Public Radio.
Because the resettlement contractors are wearing out their welcome in places like Springfield, Mass. they are moving out to fresh territory. Moves like this one (20 miles up the road) are also to accommodate the large increase in the number of refugees expected in 2017 if Obama gets his way in September. (If Paul Ryan lets him have his way!)
Alisa Klein is one of two city council members who promoted a resolution to urge the resettlement of Syrian Muslims (99% of those arriving are Sunni Muslims) to Northhampton. Learn more about her here where she got in trouble for remarks about the police last year.http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/northampton_city_councilor_ali.html
City council members last fall said they wanted Northhampton to be a sanctuary for Syrians, here.
Residents of Northampton, Massachusetts, are laying the groundwork for the likely arrival of refugees in the next year.
Catholic Charities, based in Springfield, expects to resettle 51 refugees from Syria, Iraq, Burundi, and the Congo, and they’re focusing on Northampton, where the city council last year passed a resolution to welcome the groups.
[….]
Catholic Charities says the first refugees could come as early as January.
We have many posts on Springfield, Mass (click here) where the mayor there begged for relief as his city became overloaded a few years ago.
Like Ithaca, NY there seems to be no resistance in Northhampton to the arrival of impoverished and not thoroughly screened refugees.
Just a reminder to have a look at ‘Ten things your town needs to know when welcoming refugees.’ 51 might not seem like much, but once the door is opened, I guarantee the numbers will mushroom year after year.
I was recently shocked to see that in ‘welcoming’ Lancaster, PA they get 700 refugees a year and that the local school district is now embroiled in a costly legal battle about how best to educate older teenage refugees. Are you ready Northhampton?
Hey! I just remembered! Whatever happened to the Syrian refugee resettled to Lowell earlier this summer and ultimately arrested for an unwanted sexual advance on a little girl at a public swimming pool? Does anyone know? ...
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