Well I have re-read some of the stuff I looked at before about guantanamo and it seems clear that these people are all being held illegally. They have not been accepted as POW's nor as civilian prisoners.There is no legal third alternative, whatever the US government might say. It is neither legal nor moral to hold people indefinitely without properly constituted trial: and specially convened military tribunals are no substitute for courts. I do not expect Wildcat and others to accept this and I have the impression they are eager to move the conversation on to this ground because they are comfortable there: I am not so well versed in the background though I do have some previous knowledge of the issues from general reading. But the question in the OP is about resettling those people in Europe, whatever the position taken on the legality of their detention.
Immigration does not come into this, so far as I can see. Having shown that there is a well founded fear of persecution if returned to their own countries they are asylum seekers. The obligations towards asylum seekers are quite separate from the immigration arrangements in most countries, and the us is no exception. As here the terms for seeking asylum have been tightened, I gather: but they do not alter the case here. So far as I can see the government has accepted the fear of persecution is real in at least some of these cases. So they are through the first hurdle. That is they are refugees as defined in the Geneva convention
"owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it."
and asylum seekers by virtue of the fact that they are in the united states (assuming that gitmo is on united states territory)
As such the US Asylum program provides that "If you are granted asylum, you will be allowed to live and work in the United States. You also will be able to apply for permanent resident status one year after you are granted asylum."
Refugees are also given these benefits
"The US government provides the following for refugees:
no interest travel loan to the US
8 months Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA)
food stamps
housing assistance, furnishings, food, and clothing
social security card
school registration for children
referrals for medical appointments and other support services
employment services
case management through community based non-profit organizations
adjustment of status from refugee to legal permanent resident"
Again I ask, what is the problem here?
