US resumes Iraqi refugee program

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States has resumed reviewing cases of Iraqis that have served alongside US service members, over a year after the program was put on hold, the US Department of State said on Tuesday.

“After an extensive review, we have resumed case processing for a select number of Iraqi P-2 cases that had been previously suspended during our review of the program,” read a statement from the State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

The statement added that during the review, they had “identified and resolved the issues that led to our suspension of the program in January of 2021” and that the US is “committed to ensuring that only bona fide and qualified Iraqis who supported U.S. efforts in Iraq are considered for this important humanitarian program.”

The direct access program was authorized by the Congress during the US occupation of Iraq in an aim to fasten the process of resettling Iraqis that have faced danger by working with the US.

Over 40,000 applications covering over 104,000 people were frozen when the program was put on hold in January 2021, Reuters reported, adding that US investigators at the time suspected some 4,000 false applications being submitted.