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IPS: U.S. Urged to Share More of Refugee Burden

The U.S. government has met its target of admitting 12,000 Iraqi refugees for the 2008 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, and promises to admit more than 17,000 for the next year, in addition to 5,000 under a special visa program. However, the government of Iraq, despite a massive budget from increasing oil revenues, has been ignoring the welfare of four million displaced Iraqis by refusing to grant the requested funding to an Iraqi parliamentary committee on displacement and migration. In addition, despite the drop in violence over the past two years, the situation is far from stable, and returning too early could lead to further displacement.

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