VATICAN: CONSULAR ISSUES AND IRAQI CHRISTIANS

UNCLAS VATICAN 000229 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; DRL/IRF, CA/VO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS PGOV KIRF PHUM IZ VT SUBJECT: VATICAN: CONSULAR ISSUES AND IRAQI CHRISTIANS REF: VATICAN 000219 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See Para 4. -------------- -------------- Iraqi Christian Refugees Face Immigration Hurdles -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) As delineated in reftel, Monsignor Philip Najim, Representative of the Chaldean Catholic Church to the Holy See, and Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, the Chaldean Patriarch's First Counselor based in Detroit, Michigan, told Poloff in a recent meeting of the plight of Iraqi Christians and the targeted violence he said they now face in Iraq. As a result of that violence, many Iraqi Christians have left Iraq and resettled in nearby countries with or without legal status, he said. ¶2. (SBU) Bishop Ibrahim specifically requested we look into the situation involving pending immigrant visas to the United States for the Chaldean expatriate communities in Jordan, Turkey, Greece, and Syria. Ibrahim asked for our assistance in helping reunite these refugees with their families living in the Detroit area, indicating they had no where else to go. Significantly, Ibrahim opined that Iraqi Christians are receiving disparate treatment versus other immigrant groups in similar situations, and asked us to help rectify this situation. Specifically, he claimed that other refugee groups may not have to wait as long as Chaldeans to receive their IVs. -------------- -------------- Action: Information and Talking Points - Iraqi Christian IVs -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Request Department provide Post with information and proposed talking points regarding immigrant visa (IV) processing for Chaldean Christian expatriate communities situated in Jordan, Turkey, Greece, and Syria. While Post assured Bishop Ibrahim that the Chaldean Community is being treated fairly and in accordance with U.S. laws, specific information regarding their immigrant status and the treatment of other similarly situated refugee groups and their IV petitions would be appreciated. ROONEY