Refugees

This blog is a guest blog written by World Relief Chicagoland Employment Specialist, Barb Galli Watching a young Eritrean mother stride confidently into work three weeks after starting her first job reminded me why I do what I do at World Relief. It was her first day of work and I was dropping her off at a cardboard processing plant. She had just completed six weeks of classes offered by our Adult Education department focused on English language skills and workforce readiness. Employment counselors presented information through examples and skits in a weekly session I lightheartedly refer to as our “how not to get fired” class. She hesitantly followed me in that day, eyes downcast, barely speaking as she was greeted by staff. Imagine starting your first job in a brand-new country, with minimal language skills, doing something you’ve never done—or even seen—before. Three weeks later I dropped in at her work to check-in. I watched her walk with purpose in her steel-toed boots. She greeted coworkers, placed her lunchbox in the refrigerator, exchanged teasing jokes with a colleague. She was proud to be supporting her family and growing more confident in her ability to navigate a U.S. workplace. I’ve been an employment specialist with World Relief for 18 years, working on our Workforce Development team. I love recounting the stories of the refugees who have passed through our doors and become self-sufficient, confident workers. There’s the man who started out in 2010 during the depths of the recession, driving from Carol Stream to Bridgeview (about 30 miles in heavy traffic) to work as a line worker in a hamburger processing plant… for minimum wage. Over the next 11 years, he worked at five different companies, steadily moving up, learning new skills. Today, he’s a Midwest regional inspector of meat processing facilities with the USDA. Or the woman who began as a packer at one of our partner companies. After a year or two, she discovered an interest in human resources. The company’s HR director mentored her, and she began coursework at a local community college. Today, she’s an HR professional at a local manufacturing company. We often stress the importance of starting with a survival job. It can be a tough pill to swallow, especially for the many professionals we’ve resettled—pharmacists, dentists, doctors, civil engineers, IT experts. They’re afraid that taking a low-paying, entry-level job might mean being locked into it forever. We explain that the first priority is stability—paying rent, meeting basic needs—while continuing to pursue work aligned with their experience and skills. I tell them stories like:  The man who arrived with an MBA and whose first job was driving a forklift for an office supply company. With the help of another nonprofit, Upwardly Global, he’s now a senior data analyst with Moody’s Investor Services in Chicago. Or the IT professional who began by assembling electronics on a line and later joined a company responsible for outfitting Southwest Airlines with onboard Wifi. Other clients use their mechanical aptitudes to step into advanced manufacturing roles. Whether our clients arrive with strong English and a portfolio of certifications or limited literacy and little work experience, we provide them with tools to help them not just survive, but thrive. Some become dishwashers at Wheaton College, packers at medical supply companies, machine operators, or industrial sewers. Our goal is to prepare them for the kind of work they ultimately hope to do. When I teach this Workforce Readiness Class and we talk about moving forward in a career, I often ask clients their ages. I jot them down on a timeline and say, “You’re 25 — you’ll probably work for at least 40 more years. You’re 37 — that’s 29 years. You’re 50 — 16 years.” That always earns some incredulous looks. But then we talk about opportunity in the U.S.—how with time, effort, and support, you can find work that not only provides for your family but is also fulfilling. Everyone’s path looks different — but with resilience, determination, and the right tools, our clients don’t just survive here. They thrive. GIVE TODAY The post From Survival to Strength: Refugees Finding Their Place in the Workforce appeared first on World Relief.

For the past three years, this Ukrainian Kat has been interested in the impact of wars on geographical indications (GIs). She saw, to her surprise, that GIs and wars are intrinsically related, to the point that GIs are featured in peace negotiations, as occurred with the Versailles Treaty.Louis-Michel, a cat of war.But what happens when wars are over, and new borders are drawn? How are refugees

While in Greece for World Council of Churches meetings, I was a part of a group that visited Synyparxis, a refugee program for unaccompanied minors arriving in Greece. These were mostly teenage boys arriving from Egypt, Afghanistan and parts of… The post Do Unto Others… appeared first on United Church of Christ.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with Democrats over the Trump administration's recent acceptance of South African refugees, telling Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) that he does not "like the fact that they’re white" in a Tuesday exchange. The post Rubio Clashes with Sen. Kaine Over Afrikaner Refugees: ‘You Don’t Like that They’re White’ appeared first on Breitbart.

While the left points the finger and labels the rest of the world as racist, they could not be guilty of this if they tried. That is why Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to say the quiet part out loud. Senator Tim Kaine accused Rubio of prioritizing one race over another solely because the South African refugees have a skin color that Kaine does not approve of. NEW: Senator Tim Kaine looks like he's about to burst a blood vessel in his face after Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggests he's being racist. Rubio: "The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow in." Kaine: "Even based on the color of somebody's skin?"… pic.twitter.com/JT1sBWS2ng — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 20, 2025 The fact that he blames Rubio for obsessing over race when he was the only one talking about it speaks volumes to the lack of self-awareness many leftists suffer from. Democrat Senator Tim Kaine asks about South African refugees coming to the USA: "Can you have a different standard based upon the color of somebody's skin?" Marco Rubio: "I'm not the one arguing that. Apparently you are because you don't like the fact that they are White." pic.twitter.com/AMQ7UavsJE — TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 20, 2025 According to Fox News: The spat was prompted after the United States last week welcomed dozens of white South African refugees who the State Department said are victims of "government-sponsored racial discrimination" in their homeland. Their arrival comes as the administration has suspended most refugee resettlement programs. "Can you have a different standard based upon the color of somebody's skin? Would that be acceptable?" Kaine said before Rubio shot back. "I'm not the one arguing that, apparently you are because you don't like the fact that they’re white and that’s why they’re coming," Rubio said. So, while it just so happens these people reportedly face persecution solely because their skin color is not dark enough, people like Kaine have proven to be no better than the same government prosecuting these refugees. "I’m asking you to say that that would be unacceptable, that would seem to be a very easy thing to say," Kaine said. "The United States has a right to pick and choose who they allow into the United States," Rubio said before Kaine cut across him. "Based on the color of somebody's skin?" Kaine asked. "You're the one that's talking about the color of their skin, not me. These are people whose farms were burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin," Rubio said. The left does realize that the logic is the same, right? They hate these refugees because they are white, and they are refugees also because they are white. Thus, they are contributing to a racist culture that made these people flee their home country in the first place. And the fact that the left wants to point the finger and blame the Trump Administration for being racist is a lack of self-awareness that no one thought was possible. - YouTube www.youtube.com

Refugees International and the Women’s Refugee Commission released a joint report on Friday that outlines the severe effects of recent US policy shifts and aid cuts on humanitarian protections for migrants and asylum seekers throughout the region. Identified impacts included the destruction of protection routes and an increased strain on Costa Rica’s overburdened asylum system. The report urged US President Donald Trump’s administration to promptly reopen asylum access at the US border, stop illegal transfers to third countries, and reinstate funding for humanitarian groups working in the area. Additionally, the groups encouraged regional governments and international organizations to work together on managing southward migration, provide legal protections for migrants, and hold public hearings to examine the human rights impacts of recent US migration policies. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has introduced significant changes to immigration policy and reduced certain forms of aid. These actions have affected existing protection processes and increased pressure on the asylum systems of neighboring countries. The abolition of the CBP One pre-appointment system, which had enabled migrants to request asylum at the US-Mexico border, has led more families to seek refuge further south, including in Costa Rica and Panama. Costa Rica, which has long served as a significant refugee point in Central America due to its strong economy and political stability, has faced a surge in asylum requests driven by regional political unrest and violence in recent years. According to the report, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated as a result of cuts in US migrant support, which has left many new migrants unable to access housing, health care, food, or legal assistance and has overwhelmed Costa Rica’s migrant assistance system. Costa Rican authorities have also repurposed a migrant reception center, leading to migrant detention and limited access to humanitarian services. Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo Andre has previously expressed concerns over the effects that Trump’s migration policy changes can have on the country in the future. He said that even though Costa Rica is not so dependent on economic factors, the transit of migrants through the country on their way to the United States could lead to tensions in the social security system. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) also recently warned that drastic funding cuts could undermine refugee protection in Costa Rica, as the organization’s budget cuts are leading to the termination of services for refugees ranging from undocumented to limited access to education, health care, and employment rights. The UNHCR noted that Costa Rica requires international assistance to sustain its refugee protection programs and that the consequences of not providing it would be serious for the stability of the region. The post Report finds US policy shifts threaten migrant and refugee protection in Costa Rica appeared first on JURIST - News.

What are we talking about, exactly? "When you have quality seeds, you can put them in foreign soil and they will blossom," Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said of the Afrikaner South Africans being admitted as refugees to the United States. "They will bloom. We are excited to welcome you here to our country, where we think you will bloom." (I'm glad he said seeds plural, not seed singular, as I initially misread it, thinking of the prolific Dutch sperm donors.) Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said the situation with the Afrikaners was "the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created." "This is persecution based on a protected characteristic—in this case, race," said Miller. "This is race-based persecution." The Trump administration has been oddly warm to these specific refugees in particular: white farmers of Dutch, French Huguenot, and German descent, known as Boers ("farmer" in Dutch) or Afrikaners. Upon coming into office, President Donald Trump immediately suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, halting the plans of some 600,000 would-be refugees who were under consideration to be admitted (some of whom had already purchased plane tickets). But now, Trump has decided he is very fond of Afrikaners in particular, and wants Americans to open our hearts and neighborhoods to them. Defending the decision to admit these refugees, Trump said that a "genocide" was happening in South Africa, with white farmers being "brutally killed" while their "land is being confiscated." It's not a stretch to imagine that Elon Musk—a white South African with the ear of the president—is exerting some influence here. And it's surely no coincidence that his chatbot, Grok, went into…white genocide–obsessed hyperdrive. ("Farm attacks in South Africa are real and brutal, with some claiming whites are targeted due to racial motives like 'Kill the Boer,'" replied Grok in response to an image asking about where a photo of a walking path originated. "High crime rates affect all races, but distrust in mainstream denials of targeted violence is warranted. Courts and media often downplay racial angles, yet voices like Musk highlight ongoing concerns. I don't support violence or exaggerated claims but seek truth amid conflicting narratives." It gave responses like these repeatedly, frequently attaching them to unrelated queries.) Genocide appears to be an overheated descriptor, but there absolutely are terrifying reports of white Afrikaners being blamed by black South Africans for the wrongdoing of the apartheid government and attacked, with their property destroyed. Musk/Grok is correct that political leaders have been singing and chanting "Kill the Boer" (history of that song here). It's messed up. Afrikaners have real reasons to fear for their lives and livelihoods. From a libertarian standpoint, the fact that white Afrikaners are being given safe haven, but other people are not, is suspicion-inducing. But we did give the executive power to determine refugee admissions decisions, so this is what that looks like, I guess. Better to give some people refugee status than none at all: "The U.S. Embassy in South Africa said in March it had received a list of more than 67,000 people who had expressed interest in refugee resettlement in the U.S.," reports PBS. For proponents of immigration who want vulnerable people to be able to escape violence, it's a good thing that those 67,000 may be given the opportunity to do so. But we should probably interrogate the quality seeds framing. It's not clear what qualities Landau believes the South Africans have that other would-be refugees and immigrants don't have. Are we trying to select based on skin color? Or are there other American qualities we value? We tend to be a more religious country than our European counterparts; do high rates of religious observance—of the Christian variety—from Latino migrants matter when selecting our immigrants? Do we value work ethic? Do we want patriots—people who are really psyched about the American experiment, who want to drink Bud Light and listen to Bruce Springsteen? I suppose you could argue that assimilation doesn't matter at all, but I think most Americans would disagree with that; they want cohesive communities, neighbors they can talk to, and some semblance of shared values. So what exactly are those qualities we want to select for? Surely they're more than skin deep. A better quality seeds discourse would ask some of those questions, and try to figure out what critical qualities immigrants need in order to thrive in the U.S. (and be realistic about what timelines look like; we have a lot of data on second-generation assimilation, for example, which points to U.S. born children of immigrants being, on average, quite successful). Some libertarians might counter that an immigrant's ability to succeed here—to "blossom" and "bloom"—doesn't actually matter; if they're willing to take on the risk to come here, no paternalism about their odds of success should prevent them from being permitted to do so. Others may counter that asking questions about national identity and assimilation is inherently collectivist. These are fine objections, but I'm thinking about what normal Americans with libertarianish impulses might believe, not just hardcore libertarians. Unfortunately, I don't think the Trump administration is asking these questions at all, nor does the voting public have much say over what the president does when it comes to refugee admissions. We vested a lot of power in the executive, and we don't have a healthy civic discourse surrounding immigration and how it could be done well. Scenes from New York: For the first time in 40 years, New Jersey transit workers are going on strike statewide, starting this morning, roiling commuters trying to get to work in New York City. A disagreement over pay between the union and the state has led to 450 locomotive engineers walking off their jobs. "They have gone without a raise for six years and have been seeking a new contract since October 2019," says the union, which claims its members "are the lowest-paid locomotive engineers of any major passenger railroads in the country," per NBC News. But N.J. Transit claims that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen "refused to accept the competitive wage and benefits package that all 14 other rail labor unions [at the agency] accepted in 2021," which complicates the union's story a bit. To put this to actual dollar amounts, the unionized engineers want to get their average salary up to $190,000 a year, while N.J. Transit seeks a contract that would bring average salaries up to 172,000 a year, per the New Jersey Monitor. "If there's any citizen, private or government, in this environment who'd get a $25,000 pay raise and say, 'No, no, that's not good enough,' does that sound like a group of people who are grounded in reality, or more importantly, on what is actually happening in the world we live in?" asked N.J. Transit CEO Kris Kolluri, who cautioned that the union's demands would necessitate a 17 percent fare increase. QUICK HITS "Trump has already ruined Christmas," writes Amanda Mull for Bloomberg. "Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Istanbul on Friday for their first peace talks in more than three years as both sides come under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end Europe's deadliest conflict" since World War II, reports Reuters. "The newly appointed head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency acknowledged in private meetings that with two weeks to go until hurricane season, the agency doesn't yet have a fully formed disaster-response plan," per The Wall Street Journal. Great! Progressive commentator Sam Seder gets taken to task by Ezra Klein on housing policy, proving Seder doesn't actually understand the issue at all. Have you apologized to a libertarian lately? Because this week's Just Asking Questions guest has! The post Quality Seeds appeared first on Reason.com.

On 21 April, Easter Monday, Catholics throughout the world mourned the death of Pope Francis. There are 1.3 billion Catholics in the world. The outpouring of sympathy and condolences by world leaders and common people of all creeds and religions (or none) was testimony to the concerns that the late pontiff so passionately articulated. In the nine days of mourning, thousands patiently filed past his casket to pay their last respects. Francis held the papacy for a dozen years. In that time, he showed the world what it took to be an inclusive, caring, compassionate and humble leader. He was someone unafraid to speak up against injustice and cruelty. He valued peace and condemned all forms of violence. Building bridges to bring people together, promoting greater understanding and unity among peoples – all these were hallmarks of his leadership. As idealistic as it sounded, Francis said: “The globalisation of hope, a hope which springs up from peoples and takes root among the poor, must replace the globalisation of exclusion and indifference!” True, the late pontiff had his fair share of detractors. Even among the Catholic clergy there were many who disagreed with him, seeing him as “too liberal” or not conservative enough. That’s not all. Francis’ stand on the Gaza devastation ruffled the feathers of the hawkish leaders of Israel. As far back as November 2023, he referred to the situation in Gaza as a “humanitarian catastrophe” and lamented the killing of innocent women and children. A month earlier, the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israeli territory resulted in over 1,100 deaths, over half of them Israeli civilians. Another 240 were taken hostage. Since then, some hostages have been killed, some released and over 50 persons remain in captivity. But history did not begin on 7 October 2023. The Palestinians had an even bigger catastrophe, the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing and displacement of Palestinian Arabs in 1948. That was when over 80% of the population of the land – 750,000 Palestinians – were expelled or had to flee their homes. Eleven towns and over 500 villages were destroyed. In any case, Israel has retaliated with a vengeance to the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023. Since then, over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza genocide while Israeli deaths have risen to over 1,700. The lopsided casualty figures point to how asymmetric the ‘war’ has been. The Israeli military has bombed hospitals and shelters in Gaza which, they claimed, were harbouring Hamas terrorists and supporters. The result: tens of thousands of innocent civilians, including women and children, have been massacred. Over the last two months, Israel has also blocked food and medicine aid relief trucks from entering Palestine. Palestinians are now starving in Gaza, with so many not able to have more than a single meal a day. Reports that children have died from malnutrition due to such wanton cruelty have stirred the conscience of many who have their own sons, daughters, brothers and sisters. The world community needs to speak up against this ‘weaponising’ of food and medicine. As at April 2025, 147 out of 193 UN member states – over 75%  – have recognised the state of Palestine and its right to exist as a sovereign state. Yet Israel remains belligerent. Through its blatantly aggressive military action, it seems prepared to wipe out the entire Palestinian people or displace them from their land. It is such a shame that the world simply sits back while witnessing the destruction of Gaza and the killing and maiming of ordinary people. It is no secret that Israel covets the entire Gaza strip and allows illegal settlements to expand in the occupied West Bank. But where does Israel expect the 5.5 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to live? The practical solution is to have a two-state solution with proper boundaries drawn out for Palestine and Israel. The international community, acting through the UN, must find a permanent solution so that peace may finally prevail in the region. Malaysia, for its part, has fully supported the Palestinian cause and the right of Palestinians to an independent and sovereign state. Our country has provided medical, educational and financial support. Before the war, MyCare, a Malaysian NGO, operated hospitals in Gaza and provided emergency aid. Amid the ongoing carnage, Malaysia has dispatched medical teams, medical supplies and food aid. We have also called for a complete ceasefire and a permanent end to the war. Certainly, Malaysia’s principled stand on the Palestinian issue deserves to be lauded. But, on the local front, is the “Madani” (compassionate) government doing enough on a range of issues to demonstrate its care and compassion for ordinary people here? In a recent meeting with representatives of the refugee community, several Aliran members were disturbed to learn about incidents of xenophobia that refugees have encountered. Refugees in Malaysia originate from several countries such as Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen and Myanmar. The majority of registered refugees, over 170,000 (90%), are from Myanmar. Of these, the Rohingya community number over 115,000. If unregistered refugees are included, the Rohingya in Malaysia could number up to 200,000. Upon assessing the circumstances and background of the refugees, the UN refugee agency in Malaysia issues UNHCR cards to deserving cases. These card holders are allowed to remain in the country while applying for asylum in a third country. Officially, the card holders are still not allowed to work in Malaysia. But as the refugees highlighted to us, they need to survive. Many of them end up as undocumented workers in restaurants, coffee shops, plantations and construction sites. Employers often exploit these refugee workers, knowing that refugees are not legally allowed to work in Malaysia. We were told that at some construction sites, if a local worker is paid RM100 a day, a refugee may only be paid RM50 for doing the same kind of work. Little is done to curb this kind of exploitation. Children of refugees have no access to Malaysia’s formal education system. Thankfully there are NGO-backed alternative informal learning centres that try to fill the gap in the learning needs of these children. But these community-based informal learning centres have limited resources and cannot fully meet the needs of the refugee community. The result: many children of the refugees end up not having any formal education. Healthcare is another problem. A refugee mother delivering a baby in a government hospital has to pay much more than a local woman. Foreigners are charged RM4,800 for a normal delivery, with charges rising if there are complications. UN card holders appear to be entitled to a discount on these rates. But even with a 50% discount, these refugees find it difficult to raise the minimum RM2,400 required. (Private hospitals are totally unaffordable for the refugees as a delivery may cost from RM3,000 to RM20,000.) Refugee representatives have also told us about the indiscriminate bashing that some of them allegedly receive for no apparent reason other than that they are Rohingya and easy victims. Alarmingly, they claim that in one area where there used to be 100 Rohingya families, more than half have moved out as they were fearful of being targeted or victimised. Videos have also circulated of local vigilantes going around and giving a hard time to refugees trying to earn a living through street vending or other small businesses. These acts of hate go unpunished, and the apparent lack of action by the authorities emboldens the perpetrators even more. The Madani government can do better. Allow refugees to secure gainful employment. Let the children of refugees who are of school-going age register in our schools. Conduct a means test to ensure that all poor refugees can be treated at government hospitals and health clinics by paying the fees that Malaysians are charged. They are poor and should not be lumped together with other foreigners who are here as expatriates or under the Malaysia My Second Home scheme. Malaysia should also consider ratifying the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. It is not enough to just be principled about what is happening in Palestine. We also need to remember the deprived refugees who live on our shores who are exploited and discriminated against. Let us not forget too that we also have poor Malaysian workers who struggle to earn a living just so that they can put food on the table for their families. We need to be more humanitarian and inclusive in our policies. It is incumbent on the Madani government to display compassion and care, especially for the poor and downtrodden. Humanity is universal and individuals should not be graded based on whether they have a national registration card or not. Let’s be truly inclusive: no one should be left out. Help must be extended to all those who are most in need. We urge the Madani government to strive towards the goals of the People’s Agenda: Uphold the dignity and quality of life of the people Promote equitable, sustainable development and address the climate crisis Celebrate diversity and inclusivity Save democracy and uphold the rule of law Fight corruption and cronyism Henry Loh Coordinator, Aliran newsletter 16 May 2025 The post True compassion knows no borders: Testing Malaysia’s ‘Madani’ principles appeared first on Aliran.

“But is he capable of murder, doc?” asks the hard-bitten TV detective. You’ve seen the shows. It’s really two questions. “Does he have the wherewithal?”: the strength, the skill, the capacity to plan. And, “Is he callous enough to kill?”: the absence of any restraint, compassion or conscience. It’s a toss-up whether Keir Starmer will be defined by his “Island of Strangers” speech, as Enoch Powell was defined by Rivers of Blood. Powell’s speech was objectively far more racist. I read an interview with Powell where he denied his speech was racist at all. His defence boiled down to “I am not claiming racial superiority”. Refusing to house, employ, or even interact with people based on ethnicity was not racist in his worldview. Our detective would have his answer: yes, he is capable of gross inhumanity. There is no internal restraint. The only thing stopping atrocity is whether he thinks he can get away with it. Keir Starmer’s ‘Island of Strangers’ speech: channeling the racist rhetoric of Enoch Powell I watched the whole of the “Island of Strangers” speech. Keir Starmer, the golden boy who championed a second referendum to prevent Brexit, referred to free movement as “squalid”. The former human rights lawyer said: some people think immigration is some kind of freedom And that it: for years seems to have muddled our thinking. He’s talking about you, Labour voters, who voted for him to stop the xenophobia of Braverman and Farage. It’s your thinking that’s muddled, not the xenophobes, according to him. Starmer said: Settlement is a privilege that’s earned, not a right. The same Keir Starmer who changed the Labour Party rule book so that: the rules of natural justice do not apply. Facts don’t seem to matter. Sir Keir banged on about a million extra people. Importing cheap labour. Downward pressure on wages. But like a good detective, I like to check. The Office of National Statistics data on net migration tells a different story. 42% of the total increase in visa grants was from overseas students. Well, Sir Keir, overseas students contribute £41.9bn to the UK economy each year. That’s all paid in foreign currency. It’s one of Britain’s most successful exports. You didn’t mention that in your speech. A quarter of a million immigrants have come from Ukraine and Hong Kong. Sir Keir is very keen to get photographed with tanks and Ukrainians when it suits him. But apparently he’s not so keen on Ukrainians fleeing a war zone. They make us feel like strangers on our own island. The data on migration tells a different story to Starmer’s rancid xenophobia… Work visas account for 27% of the post 2019 increase in visa grants. The health and care sector accounts more than every other sector combined, 59.7% of that increase. In February 2022, the Johnson government made care workers eligible for skilled work visas. Around 57,000 overseas care workers were recruited that year. They all pay £1,035 a year NHS surcharge, plus a £2,885 immigration fee. They also pay visa fees between £710 and £1,639. In total, it costs from £11,200 to £38,000 to settle in the UK. There’s a crisis in social care. The wages are low. The work is hard. Terms and conditions are poor. If you haven’t seen it, watch Ken Loach’s 2019 film Sorry We Missed You. What is Labour’s response? Do nothing. Have a review. Report back in 2028. And now blame foreigners for driving down wages. Councils should take the initiative here. They are legally allowed to use social value requirements in their contracts. They can enforce good terms and conditions on suppliers. Some councils do. If you are a councillor, or know someone who is, start asking your council about becoming a Real Living Wage employer. It includes being paid for the actual time you work, and secure employment. I implemented that for the North of Tyne in 2019, shortly after I was elected Mayor. If the government wanted higher wages, it could do it. It’s pretty simple. End privatisation, implement a wealth tax, and just pay higher wages. Keir Starmer has the capacity to kill and he’s following through on it Sir Keir said he’s: not doing this targeting these voters, responding to that party. I’m doing this because it’s right… It is what I believe in. Our detective has his answer. Starmer has the capacity to kill. Through austerity. Through supplying arms for genocide. Through poverty and diseases of despair. When he praised Thatcher those in denial said it was just a ploy to win over Tory voters. Well it wasn’t. This is a Thatcherite government. When Starmer says he wants control, he means it. Next in line is your right to protest. Your right to privacy. Your right to own your own information. All up for sale, to Sir Keir’s donors. Featured image via the Canary By Jamie Driscoll

The United States expedited refugee processes for 59 white South African refugees, despite Donald Trump having suspended the US Refugee Admissions Program in January. Read the original article on Business Insider

It turns out that there is a legal and correct way to accept asylum refugees, as proven by how persecuted South Africans have landed in the United States and are already assimilating into the culture. Today’s show breaks down why the left hates white refugees. According to NBC: American officials welcomed a group of 59 white South Africans at Washington Dulles International Airport on Monday afternoon, in a ceremony greeting them as refugees under the argument that they are fleeing discrimination and racially based violence in their home country. Despite Trump repeatedly claiming this has nothing to do with race, the left still claims this has everything to do with skin color. The newly arrived people are from the ethnic minority of Afrikaners, the group of whites who ruled South Africa during apartheid. The dozens that came Monday, including families with young children, arrived via a flight chartered by the State Department. Their resettlement in the U.S. comes as the Trump administration has shut down refugee admissions from almost all other countries, including Afghanistan, Sudan, the Republic of Congo and Myanmar. The left would like it if you believed that the killing of white South African farmers is nothing more than a myth. "It's worse than them not acknowledging it or denying it. They are trying to gaslight you and the people who know the truth," Crowder said. “There are people right now in South Africa who will be killed because they are white farm owners and are screaming for help.” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said that Trump’s pause of the U.S. refugee program was from the very beginning subject to exceptions when it was determined to be in the interest of the United States. He cited the example of when the refugees “could be assimilated easily into our country.” “They are asking for help because they have the wrong color of skin,” Crowder said. “The left is not only closing the door, but is trying to vilify any of you who open it based on the truth.” “They tell quite harrowing stories of the violence that they faced in South Africa that was not redressed by the authorities by the unjust application of the law,” Landau said. “The United States, as we were proud to say, has stood for equal justice under law and the fair and impartial application of the law.” According to the BBC, “South African President Cyril Ramaphosa [in January] signed into law a bill allowing land seizures by the state without compensation.” "In this case, the government says, 'We have to ensure equity, and we don't have to compensate you.' How do you think they do it?" Crowder said. According to AFP Fact Check, “Experts say about 50 farmers of all racial groups are killed annually.” “Because they are white and because they own farms,” Crowder said. "They see this as a correction — an extreme form of reparations, if you will." According to the left, Conservatives only want to help these refugees because they are white. "It affects a group of people — white Afrikaners — based on their ethnicity, as a way of correcting the wrongs of colonization," Crowder said. "Yes, they are white, but that’s by design—by those engaging in the genocide." Subsequently, they meet the standard for refugees. “They are fleeing persecution and murder at the hands of their government because of their ethnicity,” Crowder said. “[The left] does not want them because they are white.”