DNA Testing Exposes Somali Refugee Fraud
11/18/2008
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Good for the State Department running DNA tests.

Shelbyville Times-Gazette: Story: Refugee program stayed after feds confirm fraud

Sunday, November 16, 2008 By Brian Mosely

A fact sheet released this week from the U.S. State Department reported widespread fraud in the refugee program that has brought tens of thousands of people from Somalia and other African nations to the United States.

The reported fraud spurred the State Department to suspend a humanitarian program in August which was supposed to reunite African "anchor" refugees already in the states with their family members who are still overseas.

DNA testing conducted earlier this year by the government to verify blood ties between anchor refugees and their supposed family members revealed that fewer than 20 percent of those checked could confirm their biological relationships, the fact sheet stated.[more]

One problem is that Somalia is a pre-modern society, with no way of proving who's related to who. You don't get biometric ID in society where many people have never seen a doorknob. The other problem seems to be that they lie a lot, according to State Department tests. But DNA testing seems to be a way around that problem—President Sarkozy also introduced it in France.

A previous story about Somalis in Shelbyville is here.

 

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