The federal government just doled out nearly $39,000 in American taxpayer money to the San Jose State University Foundation to study the resettlement process for Syrian refugees in Iceland.
No, really.
According to the grant description from the National Science Foundation, “In early 2016, Iceland received Syrian refugee families and placed them in three Icelandic communities. Now is an exceptional time to examine Iceland's reaction and capacity to address forced migration into the Arctic.”
Because God knows that with the United States $19 trillion in the hole and ISIS knocking on our front door, that’s what we should be throwing money at. Migration to the Arctic.
The description for this ridiculous waste of taxpayer money goes on to state:
This award supports data collection on Syrian refugees' experience being accepted by Iceland. The conflict in Syria has added to a global refugee crisis that is one of the largest in history with an estimated 20 million known refugees currently displaced.
…There is great potential in Iceland to serve as a global model as it determines policies, procedures, and communications among the stakeholders for developing best-practices for addressing the challenges of refugees and forced migration. Providing culturally effective services to a population that continuously changes in country of origin, language needs, health and mental health needs, and cultural experiences will be a significant problem for service providers around the world. Knowledge gained through this research has the potential to provide critical insights other nations facing similar crises.
This project will examine service provision to refugees and their families (language services, social services, health services, education, job training) in Iceland.
Translation from pseudo-scientific nonsense to normal human speak: We’re going to use a bunch of your tax dollars to study what happens when you forcibly shove a bunch of non-natives into a population with a radically different culture, the latter of which then takes a backseat to the needs of the new folks while subsequently picking up the bill.
Sounding familiar, yet?
But of course, war isn’t the only global crisis threatening to displace people from their homes. Predictably, the grant description faults climate change for future mass migrations, which are also apparently reasons to study…Iceland.
Still not clear on that part.
While Syrian refugees were forced from their country due to war, it is estimated that by the year 2050 potentially 200 million people could be displaced due to environmental change from a warming climate.
…This research has the potential to inform healthcare providers, social service workers and administrators, policy makers, educators, and community agencies on the development of best practices in resettling refugees and forced migrants.
The whole thing would be hilarious if it weren't such an incredible waste. Then again, from a government that spends millions studying arctic shrubs and the physical risks of drunken hookups, nothing is all that surprising.