Family Reunification Halted amidst 'Fraud'

The State Department has suspended a humanitarian program to reunite thousands of African refugees with relatives in the U.S. after unprecedented DNA testing by the government revealed widespread fraud. The freeze affects refugees in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Guinea, and Ghana, many of whom have been waiting years to emigrate.

In February, the State Department launched pilot testing in Kenya to verify family relationships, mainly among Somalis. When applicants arrived for a previously scheduled appointment, a U.S. official asked them to volunteer for a DNA test. An expert then swabbed the cheek of those who claimed biological relationships, such as a mother and her purported children. The cell samples were sent to labs in the U.S. for analysis.As word spread, some applicants began missing appointments, and others refused to cooperate. In late April, the government decided to temporarily halt the family reunification resettlement program for East Africans. A government official confirms that “many thousands of people” are affected by the suspension, particularly Somalis and Ethiopians.

Refugee resettlement agencies report that arrivals have slowed to a trickle.

Refugee advocates say the definition of family among Africans extends beyond blood relatives, especially when families fleeing persecution are scattered. “Some families are raising children who aren’t their own but whom they call son or daughter,” says Ms. Fox of Catholic Charities. The practice of 'adopting' other children and raising them is a common place in African (and South American) countries. Perhaps the definition of family reunification should be amended?