SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The United States has suspended a program that allowed Iraqi to seek refuge in return for helping Americans in Iraq, according to the U.S. secretary of state.
“Effective January 22, 2021, the United States is suspending the Direct Access Program for U.S.-Affiliated Iraqis for 90 days,” Acting U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Smith said in a statemen.
The program, created in 2008, allowed many Iraqis who had worked for U.S. government, military and media organizations during and after the Iraq war to find a safe haven in the United States.
The move came after an investigation unveiled that individuals stole U.S. government records from the state department’s worldwide refugee program admissions system “to take advantage” of the program for U.S.-affiliated Iraq.
An indictment unsealed on Friday said the U.S. Justice Department charged three people in a scheme to steal confidential data for about 1,500 Iraqis seeking refuge in the United States and help coach them through the interview process, Bloomberg reported.
Two of the defendants, citizens of Jordan and Russia who are former employees at the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service, had accessed applicants’ information and sent it to an Iraqi citizen, according to the indictment.
The indictment prompted the U.S. department of state to impose a 90-day halt on the Direct Access Program for U.S.-affiliated Iraqis.
“This suspension of the Direct Access Program for U.S.-Affiliated Iraqis is necessary to further review and address vulnerabilities,” Smith said.
“The message is clear for those who would seek to take advantage of America’s generosity in welcoming the world’s most vulnerable people – you will be held accountable,” he added.
“We recognize the importance of assisting those who legitimately put their lives at risk to provide critical support to the United States in Iraq and we do not take the decision to suspend this program lightly.”
