Post

Fort Cherry Times
PRESIDENT REX RESPONDS IN FORCE TO OLIANDIRIAN SITUATION - REFUGEE CRISIS?

With Oliandiria engulfed in civil war and conflict, President Rex, as the leader of the only nation that Oliandiria borders, thought it wise to address the situation.

Full-blown intervention was shot down by Rex as a costly affair that would play out badly internationally. Rex also wasn't a fan of sending Skahyhanian boys to die for basically nothing.

But with a large ethnic Oliandirian minority population, especially on the borders, fighting began in Oliandirian villages and neighborhoods. While it wasn't anything more than fist-fights and clashes between protesters, after fifteen people were killed in one of these brawls Rex ordered a complete lock down of ethnically Oliandirian populations. Armed soldiers, curfews, checkpoints, the whole nine yards.

Yet after several Oliandirian Crown and USSN underground supply routes were discovered going under the border, Rex ordered these shut down. But the operation was larger then originally thought, with whole underground weapons-manufacturing plants set up in Skahyahn so each side could produce their own weapons in peace and without fear of bombardment from their enemy, and then smuggle them across the border for fighting. Whole intelligence operations were also discovered, with each side sneaking captured enemy files into Skahyhan so they couldn't fall back into enemy hands. The list could go on, but suffice to say each side was operating in a great capacity in Skahyahn.

Rex was not pleased. In fact he was more than a bit angry. Without delay, he ordered his son, Ashens, the head of Skahyahn's Intelligence and Investigation Agency, to crack down and arrest anyone in Skahyahn associated with either side of the civil war, and to shut down their operations and smuggling routes. And boy did he, within the first 24 hours of the order Ashens's agency had arrested over 4,000 people, with another 22,500 arrested over the course of a few months. Regrettably, not all threw their weapons down and held their hands up, and the agency was forced to execute about 28 people, but so far no agency causalities have been reported. Those arrested are currently being held in internment camps far away from the Oliandirian border and under 24 hour watch. The agency has been highly successful in shutting down smuggling routes and weapon-manufacturering plants as well.

In other news, the civil war has led to a mass influx of refugees into Skahyahn as people are running to escape the violence. At first most were legally processed as asylum-seekers, but soon the Skahyahn immigrant system was overwhelmed with over 175,000 applications for asylum. So, with the border checkpoints about to burst with the sheer amount of refugees, Rex opened the border.... right into refugee camps, under 24 hour watch from armed guards. While a refugee, after being vented, could apply for asylum and go through a process, that takes up to six months now; Rex offered them another option.

After being vented, having their backgrounds checked and demonstrating good moral character, a refugee could alternatively apply to become a migrant worker- nicknamed "geese workers" because they migrate. These migrant workers wouldn't work glorious jobs; ranch/farm hands, miners, factory/manufacturering, and shiphands, but they would be guaranteed a paycheck. And when compared to the six month asylum process, becoming a goose worker takes as little as a week.

This solves an issue Skahyhan has been facing recently. Most people that did the previously mentioned jobs have either retired or went to college to pursue an education, leaving a massive gab. With an added prevision saying a person can't deny a Skahyhanian employment then turn around and hire a refugee, the policy went off to the races. So far its been a huge success, with over 50,000 refugees taking Rex up on his offer. This influx of workers has also helped Skahyahn's economy deal with the effects of the Medietierra Economic Crisis.

Of course this situation is far from perfect, with crimes against Oliandirans up by nearly 200%, but most pundits say that Rex is handling the situation swimmingly.