Life in limbo for refugees as Trump suspends US admissions

People march during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US on February 8, 2025. (REUTERS)
Short Url
Updated 10 February 2025
Follow

Life in limbo for refugees as Trump suspends US admissions

  • Many refugees live in poverty in countries such as Iran, Turkiye, Uganda, Pakistan and Kenya
  • Often banned from working, they live in decrepit housing and usually lack most basic services

NAIROBI/KABUL: Eleven suitcases, stuffed with puffer jackets and winter boots, stood ready outside Somali refugee Hassan’s corrugated iron home in Kenya’s sweltering Dadaab camp.
His dream of a new life in Seattle was finally within reach.
The 24-year-old and his family of 10 were due to fly to the United States on Feb. 10, ending a wait of more than 15 years and filling Hassan with hope for a fresh start on the US Pacific coast.
That was until US President Donald Trump suspended refugee admissions as one of his first acts in office on Jan. 20.
“When I found out our flight was canceled, it was very bad news for us,” Hassan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Dadaab in eastern Kenya’s Garissa county.
“My father sold everything, even his sheep. I was born here in Dadaab and thought I was finally leaving this place, but maybe God has other plans,” added Hassan, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.
From Somalia to Afghanistan, thousands of refugees who fled conflict, disaster or persecution, and were approved for resettlement in the United States, have been left stranded after Trump halted the country’s refugee program. The suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) was to ensure public safety and national security, Trump said in an executive order. It will be reviewed in three months to determine if it sufficiently benefits Americans, the order said.




People gather during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US on February 8, 2025. (REUTERS)

This is not the first time that Trump has placed restrictions on refugees.
In his first term, he banned arrivals from some Muslim-majority nations, temporarily halted the resettlements and slashed the country’s admissions cap to a record low.
But refugee rights groups said the new suspension of USRAP was unprecedented.
Erol Kekic, a senior vice president at the Church World Service — a charity that screens refugees for US resettlement — said it was “devastating” and “heart-breaking.”
“We have never seen anything like this at this level before, despite the changes that have taken place during the first Trump administration,” Kekic told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“Refugee resettlement is one of those proud traditions in the United States that has been practiced for such a long time, and we’re hoping to try to find a way to continue to do it.”
NO OPPORTUNITIES
According to the United Nations, nearly 38 million people worldwide are refugees — and 65 percent of them come from just four countries: Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Many refugees live in poverty in countries such as Iran, Turkiye, Uganda, Pakistan and Kenya, and face a barrage of challenges. Often banned from working, they live in decrepit housing and usually lack the most basic of services.
Kenya is home to more than 820,000 refugees, most of whom fled neighboring Somalia after it descended into civil war in 1991. Over the years, more refugees have streamed in, uprooted by drought, famine and persistent insecurity.
Many are housed in sprawling refugee camps like Dadaab — a settlement spread over 50 square km (19 square miles) of semi-arid desert that is home to more than 415,000 people.
Residents have few ways to earn a living other than rearing goats, manual labor and running kiosks sewing clothes, selling camel meat or charging cell phones from solar panels.
Kenya forbids refugees from leaving the camp to seek work.




A woman waves a Mexican and American flag together during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US on February 8, 2025. (REUTERS)

As a result, people are poor and bereft of options.
They live in tarpaulin tents or shacks made of corrugated iron and branches, and rely on rations of cooking oil, milk powder, rice and sugar sent by foreign donors.
Many Somali refugees have lived in Dadaab for decades; some were born in the camp and have never seen life outside.
With most unable to return home to Somalia, tens of thousands have sought a better life whole continents away.
While the United States is often a prized destination, US policy on refugee resettlement is complex.
Vetting and screening — X-rays, vaccinations and a host of other medical examinations — can take more than a decade.
Refugee upon refugee recounts the same tale of years lost to process and procedure, interviews, screenings and then — finally — approval granted only to see their long-awaited escape flights suspended until further notice, no explanation given.
During Trump’s first term, the fear of languishing in camps for years saw young men lured by people smugglers into risky, illegal routes to Europe or to the United States via Mexico.
“These people smugglers are smart. They target young men who are desperate after having their flights canceled and promise to take them through another route,” said Abdirahim, 29, who had his flight canceled in Trump’s first term and now again in his second term.
“But many boys just go missing. Or their families here in Dadaab get calls from smugglers in Libya who have kidnapped them and demand thousands of dollars in ransom,” added Abdirahim, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.
‘WE ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE’
As well as refugees, thousands of Afghan and Iraqi nationals — people who had worked with the US government and been granted Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to resettle in the United States — have also been left in limbo.
In Afghanistan, many people have been forced into hiding fearing reprisals after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Subhan Safi, 28, worked with US troops as a plumber for three years. In December 2023, he was granted an SIV and more than one year on, was still awaiting evacuation from Kabul.
“I have been waiting to get on a flight ... but now I am facing an uncertain future and do not know what will happen next,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Kabul.
“I’m still hopeful that the US president’s decision will change, and that people like me, who are at risk, will be allowed entry. I’m very eager to start a new and better life,” added Safi, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.
The US State Department would not say how many people were awaiting resettlement, but confirmed admissions were on hold.
“Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order ... the Department of State is coordinating with implementing partners to suspend refugee arrivals and case processing activities,” it said in a statement to the Thomson Reuters Foundation.




People watch demonstrators march during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US on February 8, 2025. (REUTERS)

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was analizing the order, and was ready to work with Trump to find solutions.
“Refugee resettlement is a life-saving measure for those most at risk, including survivors of violence or torture, women and children at risk, and individuals with legal or physical protection needs,” said a UNHCR spokesperson.
Dadaab refugees said they had no choice but to hope that Trump would lift his suspension after the three-month review.
Some even said they didn’t blame him.
“I agree with President Trump. Illegal people should not be in his country. I think once he has deported all the illegal people, he will let the refugees come and do their jobs,” said Abdi, 24, who has been waiting 16 years for resettlement.
“We are not bad people. We want go to the US but we want to go properly and legally,” added Abdi, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.


Ukraine, US teams begin talks in Saudi Arabia

Updated 8 sec ago
Follow

Ukraine, US teams begin talks in Saudi Arabia

  • Ukraine defense minister says talks aim to bring ‘just peace closer’
  • US envoy upbeat, says Russia’s Putin ‘wants peace’

RIYADH: Ukrainian and US officials began talks on Sunday on proposals to safeguard energy facilities and critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s defense minister said, part of a diplomatic push by US President Donald Trump to end three years of war.

The meeting in Saudi Arabia, which precedes talks on Monday between the US and Russian delegations, came as US special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about the chances for ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.

“I feel that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace,” Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday.

“I think that you’re going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you’ll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire.”

Separately, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday the United States was talking through a range of confidence-building measures aimed at ending the war, including on the future of Ukrainian children taken into Russia.

Announcing the start of the Riyadh talks, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who is heading his country’s delegation, said on Facebook: “We are implementing the President of Ukraine’s directive to bring a just peace closer and to strengthen security.”

Putin agreed last week to Trump’s proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, but that narrowly defined ceasefire was soon cast into doubt, with both sides reporting continued strikes.

A large-scale Russian drone attack on Kyiv overnight killed at least three people, including a 5-year-old child, causing fires in high-rise apartment buildings and damage throughout the capital, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.

Meanwhile Russian authorities said on Sunday that their air defenses had destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones targeting the country’s southwestern regions, adding that the strikes had killed one person in Rostov.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, facing continued advances by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, has backed Trump’s call for a blanket 30-day ceasefire.

‘SOMEWHAT UNDER CONTROL’
Trump said on Saturday that efforts to stop further escalation in the Ukraine-Russia war were “somewhat under control.” The US hopes to reach a broad ceasefire within weeks, targeting a truce agreement by April 20, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the planning.

Asked on Sunday about the goals for the broader negotiations, US National Security Adviser Waltz said that after a Black Sea ceasefire was agreed, “we’ll talk the line of control, which is the actual front lines.”

“And that gets into the details of verification mechanisms, peacekeeping, freezing the lines where they are,” Waltz said. “And then of course, the broader and permanent peace.”

Britain and France are leading European efforts to beef up military and logistical support for Ukraine, and a number of countries have announced plans to increase defense spending as they try to reduce their reliance on the United States.

However, Witkoff on Sunday played down concerns among Washington’s European NATO allies that Putin might be emboldened by any peace deal in Ukraine to invade other neighbors.

“I just don’t see that he wants to take all of Europe. This is a much different situation than it was in World War Two,” Witkoff said.


Former congresswoman urges limits on PAC donations in US elections

Updated 6 min 59 sec ago
Follow

Former congresswoman urges limits on PAC donations in US elections

  • Marie Newman defeated Democrat Congressman Dan Lipinski — who frequently voted in support of Israel — and rejected overtures from pro-Israel lobbyists to support their causes

CHICAGO: A former congresswoman who represented one of the largest concentrations of Arab and Muslims voters is urging the adoption of laws to limit how much groups with foreign lobbying interests can contribute to candidates in elections.

Marie Newman, a Democrat who represented the 3rd Congressional District on Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs, which was heavily populated by Palestinian American voters, told Arab News she was beaten because of her support for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab causes and by enormous donations made to her rival by pro-Israel political action committees (PACs).

In 2017, Newman defeated Democrat Congressman Dan Lipinski — who frequently voted in support of Israel — and rejected overtures from pro-Israel lobbyists to support their causes, but immediately faced opposition from pro-Israel PACs when she rejected conditions they demanded in exchange for their support.

“AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Council) hated me with every ounce of their being and made it very clear to me. I refused in the early days of the campaign in 2017 when I first ran to take their money and I really wouldn’t talk to them because I had no interest in talking to them,” Newman said.

“I knew that they would give me a set of talking points on how to address Israel, Palestine and the Arab world and I wasn’t interested. They spent a million-and-a-half-dollars to get me out of office representing the constituents of that district.”

Newman details her election fight against the money poured into the race by AIPAC and the Democratic Majority for Israel lobbying groups in her new book, “A Life Made from Scratch,” which was released this past week.

She advocates for non-violence between Israelis and Palestinians and supported the two-state solution. During the Gaza war, after leaving office, she was also very clear in her criticism of the use of violence by Hamas and Israel’s government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“It’s important to make that clear, that it’s a genocide in Gaza and they must be stopped. So, this position we (the Democrats) have had, that we are betrothed to the pro-Israel lobby is wrong,” Newman said, arguing that she was in line with the majority of the American Jewish community nationally and with mainstream Americans in the Illinois region.

“By the way, 60 percent of Jewish people support a ceasefire and de-occupying the region. I have been talking about getting rid of the occupation in Palestine for close to 10 years. Most, over half of American Jewish people, believe that there should not be an occupation. It’s not a radical idea.”

Newman was attacked in mailers, paid for by PAC money, which falsely accused her of being anti-Israel and antisemitic. Ironically, Newman’s husband is Jewish.

She called for all PAC money, whether from a foreign lobby like Israel, or from a domestic group lobbying for corporations and specialty industries, to be eliminated or drastically limited in election campaigns. She said the issue is not just about foreign influence, but also the enormous influence PACs have on important domestic issues.

“The reasons we don’t have healthcare is because of corporate PACs. The reason we don’t have solid relationships everywhere in the world is because of these foreign entity PACs like AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel,” Newman said.

“The most egregious corporate players are in health insurance, the pharmaceutical industry, big oil, and the banking industry. Those four industries own Congress. Something over 90 percent of Congress takes corporate PAC money from those entities frequently.”

Newman noted that 12 members of Congress were forced out of office in the last election because of their criticism of Israel’s government.

“There’re 12 of us who are no longer in Congress because (AIPAC uses) the same formula where they either create a scandal, a fake scandal or false accusations, and then they beat you down. They raise millions of dollars against you. They put the money into the election race and they support your opponent,” Newman said, noting that the money is used to make the false accusations believable to voters.

“They make an accusation, and then they raise huge amounts of money, enormous amounts of money, sometimes without limits, and then use that money to push that accusation against you, even if the accusation is false … They used the money to weaponize antisemitism.”

Newman rejected assertions against her of antisemitism or that she is anti-Israel, and emphasized: “At the same time, you want to be fair to people, the Palestinians.”

Election law limits to $6.600 the sum a married couple who are voters can give to a candidate in one election, Newman said.

She said it was unfair to American voters that PACs representing domestic industries such as healthcare, banks or the pharmaceutical industry, or that advocate for policies of foreign countries, can donate unlimited amounts of money to candidates drawing what American voters are allowed to contribute.

“It’s one of the reasons I wrote my book. PAC money drives everything in Washington D.C. and, sadly, what happens when corporations and when politicians are beholden to corporate PACs and foreign entity PACs is that that money takes away the voice of the American people and it is replaced by the ‘talking points’ of those PACs,” Newman said.

While Newman was serving, pro-Israel PACs and political activists lobbied the Illinois legislature to redraw the congressional district maps. Newman’s 3rd District was divided and merged into five other districts to dilute the pro-Arab vote.

She was beaten when in 2022 she was forced into a contest in a newly drawn congressional district with the incumbent, three-term pro-Israel Democratic Congressman Sean Casten.


France’s Dassault says upping Rafale warplane output

Updated 23 March 2025
Follow

France’s Dassault says upping Rafale warplane output

  • EU countries have been seeking to boost defense spending in the face of possible US security disengagement and Russian aggression
  • Macron said that France was going to 'increase and accelerate Rafale orders'

PARIS: France’s Dassault Aviation is looking to ramp up production of its Rafale combat planes, its CEO said on Sunday, after President Emmanuel Macron said the country would increase orders.
European countries including France have been seeking to boost defense spending and increase weapons production in the face of possible US security disengagement and Russian aggression linked to the war in Ukraine.
Macron said on Tuesday that France was going to “increase and accelerate Rafale orders.”
Dassault Aviation chief executive Eric Trappier said the company had increased output from one war plane a month in 2020 to more than two per month this year, and was working with suppliers to be able to produce combat planes even faster.
“We are planning to deliver three per month next year, and four from 2028-2029,” he told Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
“We have heard the president’s call and are studying the possibility of ramping up to five Rafale per month. There are no concrete orders yet, but we want to be ready,” he said.
However, he did not say when this might be possible.
Trappier said that, if the French government approved, the company would also be “ready to provide its services” to any country reviewing its orders for US-made F-35 combat planes since President Donald Trump took office.
On Friday, Germany said it was committed to buying F-35 fighter jets despite reports that it was reconsidering due to worries about an over-reliance on US defense supplies.
But Canada said last week it was reviewing a major purchase of F-35s amid serious tensions over tariffs and Trump threatening to annex the country.
That announcement came two days after Portugal said it, too, was re-examining a possible purchase of F-35 fighter jets.
Trappier said that Portugal had not yet reached out to his company.
Last year, France’s air force had 108 Rafale jets, and the navy had 41. France was due to receive 56 additional aircraft before Macron’s announcement.
The defense minister last month said the air force needed 20 to 30 more Rafales to face a crisis scenario.


Filipino Muslims flock to Manila food hub for halal meals during Ramadan

Updated 23 March 2025
Follow

Filipino Muslims flock to Manila food hub for halal meals during Ramadan

  • Philippine capital region is home to more than 173,000 Filipino Muslims
  • Food sellers on Manila’s Padre Campa Street offer halal meals, including Mindanao dishes

Manila: In the heart of Manila’s bustling University Belt, a food street known for its diverse culinary offerings has grown into a go-to spot for Filipino Muslims during Ramadan, as they search for halal food that reminds them of home.

The halal eateries along Padre Campa Street, a hub for grub located near the capital’s top colleges and universities, have in recent years become a haven for Muslim minorities, including Hanan, who is from Mindanao’s Sultan Kudarat province.

“I miss a lot of food from home, especially the ones prepared by my mom for iftar,” Hanan, who gave only her first name, told Arab News.

As she spent the holy month in Manila to prepare for a licensing exam, Hanan said finding halal food to break the fast was not as easy as it was back home.

“Fasting here is a bit difficult for us because not all the stores here are certified halal. So, we can only pick certain stores, and this is the only specific store we know is safe for us to eat.”

There are about 12 million Muslims in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, making up around 10 percent of its entire population.

While most live on the island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the country’s south, the Metro Manila capital region is also home to over 173,000 Filipino Muslims.

Along with the government’s recent efforts to promote halal cuisine from Mindanao, such food has become increasingly available in the Philippines’ largest metropolitan area.

But on Padre Campa Street, the presence of halal food stalls has a longer history that can be traced to the owners’ desire to cater to the minority Muslim community.

“We serve native delicacies because there are many Muslims in this area,” Ferdanah Talib, who is from Mindanao’s Zamboanga Sibugay province, told Arab News.

Her brother opened the Halal Avenue food stall in 2017, selling dishes like barbecue chicken and grilled fish, as well as traditional meals like binaki, steamed corn dessert and snacks originating from Mindanao and Cebu.

“It’s our way of supporting our fellow Muslims here, especially during Ramadan. Our store opens at 4:30 p.m. until midnight,” Talib said.

Mary Ann Serra, a Filipina Christian who had worked in Malaysia and spent time in Mindanao, has kept her food shop halal since she opened it over a decade ago.

“We opened this store in 2012, and from the start, it has always been halal,” Serra told Arab News.

“We noticed that there were many Muslims in the area, but there were no halal places to eat. So, we thought, what if we try opening a halal restaurant? Especially during Ramadan, it’s hard for them because there’s nothing for them to eat.”

While her shop specializes in the delicacies of Tausug, one of the largest Muslim ethnic groups in southwestern Philippines, it also sells simple mainstream dishes.

“What our customers keep coming back for are the chicken barbecue, grilled fish, and squid. We also have dishes like tiyula itum, or black soup,” Serra said.

Many Filipino Muslims, even those who are in the capital for a short stay, have grown fond of the food street.

“This is my third time spending Ramadan here in Metro Manila … It really means a lot to us to have a place like this because as Muslims, what we’re really looking for is halal food. We don’t have many places to go for food,” Arsie Muin, who is from Zamboanga City, told Arab News.

“It’s also good because they serve some native delicacies,” he said. “We are really grateful that this place exists.”


Kremlin says ‘difficult negotiations’ ahead on Ukraine

Updated 23 March 2025
Follow

Kremlin says ‘difficult negotiations’ ahead on Ukraine

  • Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to hold separate talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia

MOSCOW : The Kremlin on Sunday downplayed expectations for a rapid resolution to the Ukraine conflict, saying talks were just beginning and that “difficult negotiations” were ahead.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to hold separate talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia over the next 48 hours as President Donald Trump pushes for a rapid end to more than three years of fighting.
“We are only at the beginning of this path,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV.
He said there were many outstanding “questions” and “nuances” over how a potential ceasefire might be implemented.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian call for a full and immediate 30-day pause, proposing instead to halt attacks only on energy facilities.
“There are difficult negotiations ahead,” Peskov said in the interview, published on social media.
He also said Russia’s “main” focus in its talks with the United States would be discussing a possible resumption of a 2022 Black Sea grain deal that ensured safe navigation for Ukrainian agricultural exports in the Black Sea.
“On Monday we mainly intend to discuss President Putin’s agreement to resume the so-called Black Sea initiative, and our negotiators will be ready to discuss the nuances around this problem,” Peskov said.
Moscow pulled out of the deal — brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations — in 2023, accusing the West of failing to uphold its commitments to ease sanctions on Russia’s own exports of agricultural products and fertilizers.