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Fortress Europe?: EU Countries Move to Stop Flood of Iraqi Refugees - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

The ongoing terror in Iraq is driving an increasing number of refugees to Europe. Now the EU is being forced to make some tough decisions: Who will be allowed to stay in Europe, and will Iraqi Christians have greater chances here than Muslims?

 A Catholic bishop gives communion to Iraqi Christians at a church in Baghdad: "People are getting more and more desperate."

Bassam persevered for five years, believing that he could live with the daily violence, the car bombs, the roadside bombs and the snipers. But the terror kept getting closer and closer.

At first, poverty and crime drove Bassam, a 45-year-old electrician, from his war-torn village deep in Iraq's south to the capital Baghdad, where he opened a stand selling ordinary electrical items like light bulbs, two-way adapters and hotplates. It was a miserable life, but bearable -- until Bassam became caught between rival militias. He was told to pay protection money, and eventually his little shop went up in flames.

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jun 24th, 2008 at 04:30:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
How about a "green card" system where skilled people can enter ? I know that leeches away skills from Iraq that will slow its progress in the future but, being realistic, that's a generation away. We can help them and ourselves now.

there was a highly technocratic workforce in Iraq...let's nick it.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Jun 25th, 2008 at 02:52:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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