Syrian refugees resettled in the US

Four Syrian refugees who had been stuck in Antigua & Barbuda for two years have finally reached their destination in America.
The effort to get the remaining four into the US was still being pursued by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a travel ban on nationals of certain countries, including Syria.
The resettlement came several months after the first 11 men were re-homed in that country, but uncertainty loomed over the process for the last group due to the signing of a controversial executive order.
Local affiliate with the UNHCR, Michael Joseph said that the men were moved to Trinidad & Tobago in the event the travel ban was lifted but the success came because the UNHCR continued going through the required processes to get the men relocated even while the US ban was in place.
“It so happened that the judge in Hawaii placed a hold on the entire ban and it so happened at the time their medical checks had cleared. They only stayed in Trinidad for about three weeks before moving on to the US to start their new lives,” Joseph said.
Joseph said the UNHCR and government are reviewing the processes that were undertaken to be prepared in the event there are similar situations in the future.
Fifteen Syrian men were picked in late July 2015 when US authorities notified the Government of Antigua & Barbuda of a smuggling ring involving Syrian nationals.
It was discovered that they arrived in Antigua on visa waivers and while they were in the custody of the police and immigration, they applied for asylum. The men claimed it was unsafe to return to their war-torn home.
They were granted asylum after officials from the UNHCR and International Office for Migration travelled to Antigua, questioned the men and investigated their reports.