Detroit Area Expecting Influx Of Thousands Of Iraqi Refugees
Web Editor: Elizabeth Reinholt, Producer
Last Updated: 6/1/2007 7:16:05 AM


DETROIT (AP) -- As many as half of the seven-thousand Iraqi refugees headed to the U.S. could be settling in the Detroit area.
About 300,000 people in southeastern Michigan trace their roots to the Middle East. Many live in the suburb of Dearborn, which is widely considered the capital of Arab America.

Immigration aid workers say they've received government data on numerous refugees and have started locating translators, transportation and housing. They've also taken clothing, furniture and appliance donations.

The Bush administration has said it will allow up to 7,000 Iraqis into the U.S. by the end of September. The Department of Homeland Security says 59 Iraqis who have had their refugee applications approved should be arriving in the next few weeks.

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