migration

On July 15th, as Congressmen Alcee Hastings and John Dingel reintroduced HR 6496 they “lauded” the work of NGO’s who have supported legislative action from the US government. Among those recognized for their contribution was Pax Christi USA. According to Network, this bill is the best legislative attempt to date to deal with the worsening Iraqi refugee crisis. As of this writing there are no co-sponsors from New Jersey. Please contact your congressman and urge him to support this legislation.

About the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
There are currently 5 million Iraqi’s who have been displaced, internally and externally, due to the ongoing violence in Iraq. Of the 2.4 million who have left the country few consider returning to Iraq an option.

Iraqi refugees are among the most traumatized in modern history. It is estimated that 80% have experienced torture, extortion or the violent death of a family member. The children are the most seriously affected.

The United States Government, under previous legislation has allowed for up to 12,000 visas to be issued by this September. To date only 4,700 have actually been processed. The USCCB is calling for an allotment of at least 100,000 visas for next year.

For more information on the Iraqi refugee crisis you can go to these links

Pax Christi NJ, a region of Pax Christi USA the national Catholic peace movement (www.paxchristiusa.org), announced that Bishiop Thomas Gumbleton will be the keynote speaker at its upcoming conference on migration and global solidarity entitled “We Suffer and Rejoice with Our Brothers and Sisters” on Saturday April 19th at St. Patrick’s Church and School in Jersey City. The event is being co-sponsored by the Haiti Solidarity Network of the Northeast (HSSNE).

Bishop Gumbleton is the retired auxiliary bishop for the diocese of Detroit. A longtime national and international activist in the peace movement, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton is a founding member of Pax Christi USA and an outspoken critic of violence and militarism. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, and has published numerous articles and reports. His weekly homilies appear in his column in the National Catholic Reporter under the title “The Peace Pulpit”.