Refugees are being treated like terrorists

It is understandable that many Americans reacted fearfully after the attacks in Paris Friday. But it is disappointing that Gov. Sam Brownback was one of them.

Brownback joined about two dozen other governors this week in declaring that Syrian refugees were not welcome in their states. He issued an executive order Monday saying no state agency or organization receiving state money could help relocate Syrian refugees in Kansas.

“We must take immediate action to ensure terrorists do not enter the nation or our state under the guise of refugee resettlement,” Brownback said in the statement.

In a letter to The Eagle, Brownback wrote: “In this dangerous environment, we must take prudent and responsible actions to protect our citizens.”

Obviously, America must be cautious and vigilant. That is why – contrary to claims by Brownback – there is a rigorous process for screening refugees.

According to the Economist: “After refugees are referred by an American embassy or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, they are screened by Department of State Resettlement Service Centers all over the world. They undergo multiple investigations of their biographies; biometric checks of their fingerprints and photographs; in-depth interviews by highly trained Department of Homeland Security officers; medical screenings as well as investigations by the National Counterterrorism Center and by intelligence agencies.”

Is it possible that a terrorist might be able to slip through this screening process? Perhaps, but there are far less risky ways to enter the country. And of the nearly 750,000 refugees who have been admitted to America since Sept. 11, 2001, none has conducted a terrorist attack on this country. The much greater threat is homegrown terrorists.

The reality is that Brownback and the other governors can’t dictate where the federal government and charities resettle Syrian refugees. So their declarations mostly serve to stoke people’s exaggerated fears about refugees.

That’s particularly disappointing coming from Brownback, who was a leader on refugee issues when he was a U.S. senator. He used to speak eloquently of the biblical call to care for aliens and foreigners.

More than 220,000 people have died in Syria since 2011, according to the United Nations, and at least 11 million people have fled their homes. These are people – including millions of women and children – who have been terrorized by the Syrian government and by the Islamic State. They are so desperate that they risked their lives trying to escape to Europe.

“Refugees are individuals who have been terrified the last five years,” said Jennifer Doran, executive director of the International Rescue Committee of Wichita.

They shouldn’t be treated like terrorists.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Refugees are being treated like terrorists."