Over the past several months, we have frequently noted the staggering increases in the number of refugees Obama has permitted into the United States just as his Presidency is winding down. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, we noted that in the first 84 days of the 2017 fiscal year (October 1, 2016 - December 23, 2016), the Obama administration has accepted 25,584 refugees into the United States, an 86% increase year-over-year (see "Refugee Admissions Surge 86% YoY As Obama Rushes Arrivals Ahead Of Trump Inauguration"). And while we were expecting a large increase in refugee admittances in 2017 (see "Hillbama Administration Plans To Admit At Least 110,000 Refugees In 2017"), the ~30% increase that Secretary John Kerry estimated back in September is looking like a fairly modest increase now compared to the actual numbers.
Meanwhile, just a few weeks ago we pointed out that European officials finally admitted that refugees were being directly recruited by ISIS both in Syria and in migrant camps throughout Europe to carry out terrorist attacks (see "Europol Admits ISIS Actively Targeting Refugees To Carry Out Terrorist Attacks In The EU").
Confirming what most of us deduced long ago via the application of just a bit of common sense, Europol and Frontex, Europe's border and coast guard agency, are finally admitting that their intelligence indicates coordinated efforts on the part of ISIS to recruit asylum seekers, both in Syria and in migrant camps after they've already reached Europe, to carry out terrorist attacks. In a report published by Europol, counter-terrorism experts warn that, among other things, "Syrian refugee diaspora may become vulnerable to radicalisation once in Europe and may be specifically targeted by Islamic extremist recruiters."
But, here in the U.S. there should be no similar cause for concern because Josh Earnest has assured us that "significant screening was put in place to ensure that these [refugees] don't pose an undue threat to our national security."
And while we have no doubt in the Obama administration's commitment to a rigorous vetting process, we were somewhat alarmed by an undercover video revealed earlier today by the Daily Caller which seems to show a U.S. Immigration Services official in New York coaching a woman on how to help a Syrian family gain asylum in the US with "fake passports"...a situation which the official describes as "far from unique."
“The fake passport is one thing, we are going to use the name that is on the passport as AKA, also known as,” the man identified as Sergio responded. He added, “chances are considering the situation in Syria, they are not going to be sent back.”
The USCIS employee went on to say, “Was there ever a situation where people came with fraudulent documents and qualified for asylum? Yes, because it’s understood that they can not always obtain genuine documents. So it’s far from being unique.”
Of course, when the Daily Caller attempted to confirm whether granting asylum to refugees with "fake passports" was indeed "far from unique," they were courteously referred to a website for further assistance with their concerns.
The Daily Caller asked the USCIS if giving asylum to immigrants with fake documents is “far from unique” like the USCIS employee said in the video. A spokesperson responded by saying they do not “publicly discuss individual immigration cases” and giving a link to a information on their refugee and asylum programs.
A USCIS spokesperson also said that the agency cannot confirm the authenticity of the video as they claim it is heavily edited. The USCIS did not confirm nor deny that Sergio is an employee with the agency.
TheDC has previously reported on an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo which states difficulty in preventing fraud in the refugee program as “bad actors” use false biographies and “produce and submit fictitious supporting documentation.” It has also been reported that the Islamic State has a thriving fake passport industry.
//players.brightcove.net/5107476400001/B1xUkhW8i_default/index.html
Guess there is really no need for the elaborate games when you can just walk straight through the front door...