[GOTFIVEONIT]

HOMELESS IN DELHI: Iraqi doctor Shahad Khalil wants her family to be resettled in another country.

Bad host: Iraqi refugees left to live on Delhi streets: IBNLive.com > Videos - video report

Bad host: Iraqi refugees left to live on Delhi streets

Seemi Pasha / CNN-INDIA

Published on Saturday , September 01, 2007

New Delhi: Shahad Khalil, an Iraqi refugee, has been waiting outside the United Nations Human Rights Commission office in Delhi for the past seven days. Shahad and her family fled Iraq after the US attack in August last year. Homeless in the foreign soil, the 27-year-old doctor wants to be resettled in another country.

"We just want to ask all the embassies just to listen to us to gain resettlement or just contact UNHCR and give me and my family a beautiful life. We want to start again," Shahad says.

Shahad in not alone in her struggle. There are two other families apart from hers who are battling similar fate. 27-year-old Roaa Sardan has a master's degree in public administration from the University of Baghdad, but today she only has a piece of paper as her identity proof.

Roaa's father was a powerful government official in the Saddam regime, but in Delhi she is working as a domestic help for Rs 500 ($12.23) a month. "I went to UNHCR many times to find out why my case is sleeping. They told me we cannot do anything for you. You can do what you want. You can sleep on the streets, find any job. We cannot do anything for you," Roaa says.

Almost every city has areas identified as refugee colonies where people who have fled civil strife and sought refuge in India have settled down. But many families that left war-torn Iraq and now living in Delhi have been left to live on the streets.

The UNHCR has only one explanation for the plight of these homeless refugees. "There are 11,000 refugees in India and some of them have been waiting for over 20 years. How can we push these cases over all others?" UNHCR External Relations Officer Nayana Bose explains.

Homeless and desperate, the Iraqi refugees in India have now taken it upon themselves to contact embassies directly and find out if they would be welcomed anywhere.

[MossadConspiracy]

i bet some indians get some sadistic joy from making Arabs work as domestics for them.

ws

[GOTFIVEONIT]

i hope you stupid desi people are reading this story. you think money is everything, that money is god, take a good look because that could easily end up being you one day. money comes and money goes and nothing lasts forever.

[GOTFIVEONIT]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

i bet some indians get some sadistic joy from making Arabs work as domestics for them.

ws

you know thats very interesting. i didnt even think about that. i was just shocked that they are now being forced to earn only Rs.500 per month? thats only twelve bucks.

hey since desi guys are obssesed with 'fair' skin and love arabian girls, they should run off to delhi and marry these girls in exchange for green cards lol.

But this region has always had a history of arab migration for centuries. most of us are descendants of arab migrants or merchants who setteled in India and Pak.

[MossadConspiracy]

who the heck would want an Iraqi green card...

but yeah, this is messed up. It doesnt matter what the races are really. To see professional people like doctors and people with other advanced degrees forced to be servants and not having enough money to live is just sad. Its a disgrace that the US isnt allowing more Iraqis in, alot of these situations would be avoided if more Iraqis could migrate to the United States. America can always use more professionals, and we're the ones who messed up that country to begin with

[Aryan_]

Serves them right for going to India.

[GOTFIVEONIT]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

who the heck would want an Iraqi green card...

you misunderstood what i wrote. i said offering these girls u.s. green cards in exchange for marriage.

but believe it or not, there are plenty of Indians who are actually working in Iraq right now. I dont understand one thing though, why doesnt the Gulf nations take in these people too? Why is a poor country like India taking in refugees like this?

but yeah, this is messed up. It doesnt matter what the races are really. To see professional people like doctors and people with other advanced degrees forced to be servants and not having enough money to live is just sad. Its a disgrace that the US isnt allowing more Iraqis in, alot of these situations would be avoided if more Iraqis could migrate to the United States. America can always use more professionals, and we're the ones who messed up that country to begin with

thats very true too, so after all this do you still support the war?

[Anderson]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

i bet some indians get some sadistic joy from making Arabs work as domestics for them.

ws

I think if it was an Emirati or other Khaleeji who mistreat their South Asian help then yes they would be, but I don't think any Indian has any hostilities against Iraqis*. Anyone who's been under the employ of a South Asian knows they'll milk you for every ounce of energy regardless of your ethnicity. Much of the exploitation by Khaleejis of South Asians is facilitated by South Asian employment agencies and so on.

This kind of story is really sad, why on God's green Earth would they think going to India would help them. Arab countries are bad enough but India is just so corrupt, why the hell would you trust your safety in their hands.

*Except Hindus who hate Muslims.

[MossadConspiracy]

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

you misunderstood what i wrote. i said offering these girls u.s. green cards in exchange for marriage.

oh, ok.. If the situation in Iraq keeps getting worse, i'm sure websites with Iraqi mail order brides are going to eventually be created

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

but believe it or not, there are plenty of Indians who are actually working in Iraq right now. I dont understand one thing though, why doesnt the Gulf nations take in these people too? Why is a poor country like India taking in refugees like this?

Some Iraqis are refugees in Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia. But you're right... they can support alot more but choose not to, just like America. Its left to countries that are already poor like Jordan and Syria (and Egypt to a lesser degree) to carry most of the weight. In the end, all of these governments dont care about the Iraqis or are worried about Iraqis bringing violence, terrorism, drugs and prostitution with them.

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

thats very true too, so after all this do you still support the war?

If less Iraqis will die and become refugees if the Americans stay in Iraq, then thats what I support. If less Iraqis will die and become refugees if the Americans leave Iraq, then thats what I support. I've heard good arguments for both, and right now i lean toward the second argument, but its not an easy question to answer. In short, I dont know but whatever is best for the Iraqis is what I want

ws

[Aryan_]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

oh, ok.. If the situation in Iraq keeps getting worse, i'm sure websites with Iraqi mail order brides are going to eventually be created

Looks like it has already happened:

[ozaire]

why don't they travel to pakistan

[GOTFIVEONIT]

but americans staying in Iraq is the main root cause of the violence and the rebellion. if the americans leave then the violence will stop. and the refugees can go home, which is why the fled in the first place. isnt that in the best interests of the iraqi people?

and as for the Iraqi's who fled to India, most are sunnis, and India's past governments always had good relations with saddam. im not surprised that they did go there.

[Arabesque]

I don't think it's a good idea for Gulf countries to take in Iraqis. They always end up in prostitution. There are greedy people who will take advantage of their need and miserable situation, and it's happening already.

Why can't the US or the UK take in those Iraqis? Why does everybody expect the Gulf countries to pay everybody else's bills.

I'm all for helping other Muslims, but in this case, we didn't really invade their country and destroy the infrastructure, causing unemployment and anarchy. Let those who thought it was a good idea to invade a country and reduce it to a mafia den take care of those people. I'm sure many Iraqis would love to move to the West.

[Arabesque]

Originally Posted by Anderson

I think if it was an Emirati or other Khaleeji who mistreat their South Asian help then yes they would be, but I don't think any Indian has any hostilities against Iraqis*. Anyone who's been under the employ of a South Asian knows they'll milk you for every ounce of energy regardless of your ethnicity. Much of the exploitation by Khaleejis of South Asians is facilitated by South Asian employment agencies and so on.

I hope it was just a coincidence that you picked "Emirati" from all other Gulf states. The Emirates records the least cases of abuse against domestic workers. In fact, many cases of abuse involve non-Emirati sponsors. Just because it happens in the UAE doesn't mean those involved are UAE nationals. Almost everyone here has domestic help, including middle-class Indians (and they are the majority).

I was just reading a few hours ago in our daily newspaper the story of this domestic worker of Indian origin:

Gulfnews: Leaving behind happy memories and returning with a heavy heart

Of course, the story of her generous Emirati sponsor will go unmentioned. People are so ungrateful. I believe Allah (swt) gives people what they deserve.

[Jamroll]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

i bet some indians get some sadistic joy from making Arabs work as domestics for them.

ws

Salam

To be honest, I think very few Indians would think like that.

Asians (talking specifically Indian subcontinent) are more likely to suffer from inferiority rather than superiority complexes.

And, as was mentioned previously, Asians don't really harbour any deepseated resentment against Arabs (other than perhaps the ones who've travelled to the Gulf and had bad experiences, which are a miniscule minority).