Kristen Nelson

MGD 120

Refugee Resettlement and Migration in the U.S.

OverviewEvery year, thousands of refugees are resettled to the United States in a joint effort by the United States government, the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration and Several INGO’s and U.S. non-profit organizations

Eligibility for resettlement is determined every year by the United States government. The global refugee system is assessed, and those groups who have spent many years in refugee camps and have little or no chance of a durable solution are then nominated for third country resettlement.

Once a refugee population is nominated for resettlement, individual families and cases can apply, usually a 1 year process.

Process includes background checks, medical checks, skills and mental health assessment, visa processing and travel assistance

Adjusting to a new life… Refugees arriving in the United States often spend 15-20 years in a refugee

camp in between leaving their home country and moving to a third country. The conditions in camps are often difficult, with limited access to clean water

and sanitation, little to no access to medical care, limited work opportunities and limited access to nutritious food.

Upon arrival in the United States, refugees have a case manager who helps them find an apartment, receive cash assistance, enroll in school, look for employment and attend cultural orientation.

Case Management services are provided for 6 months after arrival, and after that refugees are on their own

After one year, refugees are eligible to become permanent residents of the U.S. (green card holders) and after 5 years they are eligible to become citizens.

U.S. Refugee Arrivals 2000-2009

U.S. Refugee Arrivals by Year and Country of Origin,2000-2009

Country of Origin Year Total2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Afghanistan 1,709 2,930 1,683 1,453 959 902 651 441 576 349 11,653Algeria 57 31 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 92Angola 0 34 16 21 20 21 13 4 0 8 137Armenia 20 27 30 63 88 86 87 29 9 4 443Azerbaijan 259 449 114 406 407 299 77 78 30 38 2,157Belarus 1,050 971 680 702 659 445 350 219 111 146 5,333Bhutan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5,320 13,452 18,772Bosnia-Herzegovina 19,033 14,593 3,461 525 244 61 16 0 0 0 37,933Burma 637 543 128 203 1,056 1,447 1,612 13,896 18,139 18,202 55,863Burundi 165 109 62 16 276 214 466 4,545 2,889 762 9,504Cambodia 0 23 4 7 3 9 9 15 8 15 93Cameroon 7 5 6 6 0 6 29 5 0 4 68Central African Republic 0 0 0 0 24 0 23 15 56 59 177Chad 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 10 23 6 47China, People's Republic 0 12 9 9 3 13 21 27 50 54 198Colombia 0 0 8 149 577 323 115 54 94 57 1,377Congo, Democratic Republic 1,354 260 107 251 569 424 405 848 727 1,135 6,080Congo, Republic 11 6 5 41 73 43 66 206 197 293 941Cote d'Ivoire 0 0 3 4 0 5 23 11 30 9 85Croatia 2,995 1,020 109 144 92 39 0 0 0 0 4,399Cuba 3,184 2,944 1,919 306 2,980 6,360 3,143 2,922 4,177 4,800 32,735Djibouti 0 12 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 3 21Equatorial Guinea 12 0 0 0 0 25 11 14 0 9 71Eritrea 94 109 13 23 128 327 538 963 251 1,571 4,017Estonia 81 57 38 28 27 17 7 6 6 0 267Ethiopia 1,347 1,429 330 1,702 2,689 1,663 1,271 1,028 299 321 12,079Gambia 13 5 0 9 3 0 6 13 6 10 65Georgia 30 49 14 53 33 11 4 7 20 4 225Haiti 49 24 5 0 17 8 0 0 0 0 103Indonesia 14 5 18 17 5 6 10 0 0 0 75Iran 5,145 6,590 1,535 2,471 1,786 1,856 2,792 5,481 5,270 5,381 38,307Iraq 3,158 2,473 466 298 66 198 202 1,608 13,822 18,838 41,129Kazakhstan 284 291 222 118 312 80 124 45 62 52 1,590Kenya 11 13 24 3 0 0 5 0 0 0 56Korea, North 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 22 37 25 93Kuwait 13 0 6 0 14 0 0 24 0 7 64Kyrgyzstan 147 116 69 46 100 38 15 17 25 46 619Laos 64 22 18 13 6,005 8,517 830 117 59 14 15,659Latvia 103 125 57 49 52 25 21 17 6 0 455Liberia 2,620 3,429 560 2,957 7,140 4,289 2,346 1,606 992 385 26,324Lithuania 16 40 0 21 13 9 0 4 0 0 103Macedonia 0 0 4 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 17Mauritania 0 202 6 0 0 3 88 62 26 16 403Moldova 1,056 1,168 1,022 616 1,711 1,016 721 565 487 445 8,807Nigeria 50 85 28 57 34 11 15 20 76 3 379Pakistan 6 3 0 18 11 9 20 30 104 67 268Russia 3,723 4,454 2,105 1,394 1,446 5,982 6,003 1,773 426 495 27,801Rwanda 345 94 47 47 176 183 112 202 108 111 1,425Serbia and Montenegro 0 0 0 0 151 40 11 0 0 0 202Sierra Leone 1,128 2,004 176 1,378 1,084 829 439 166 99 51 7,354Somalia 6,026 4,951 237 1,994 13,331 10,405 10,357 6,969 2,523 4,189 60,982Soviet Union, former 282 133 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 415Sri Lanka 4 0 5 7 0 0 6 0 0 33 55Sudan 3,833 5,959 897 2,139 3,500 2,205 1,848 705 375 683 22,144Syria 18 8 4 3 0 7 27 17 24 25 133Tajikistan 24 9 4 13 0 6 4 0 0 0 60Togo 511 280 16 47 35 72 18 40 204 14 1,237Tunisia 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10Uganda 18 12 0 0 8 10 20 38 42 8 156Ukraine 7,334 7,172 5,217 5,065 3,482 2,889 2,483 1,605 1,022 601 36,870Uzbekistan 693 681 394 166 426 271 527 190 134 152 3,634Vietnam 2,841 2,730 2,988 1,354 979 2,009 3,039 1,500 1,112 1,486 20,038Yemen 0 0 0 0 8 0 11 6 0 47 72Yugoslavia, former 524 153 1,860 1,839 0 0 0 0 0 0 4,376Zimbabwe 0 6 0 0 0 0 13 0 3 10 32All Other Countries 35 57 31 29 21 20 25 28 45 102 393

Totals 72,133 68,917 26,760 28,297 52,833 53,733 41,088 48,213 60,101 74,597 526,672

•Courtesy of U.S. Department of Homeland Security

2000

2001

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2004

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2007

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2009

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

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Arrivals by Year

Arrivals by Year

2000200120022003200420052006200720082009

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

Burmese Arrivals by Year

Burmese Arrivals by Year

On average, over the last 9 years, the U.S. has accepted 52,777 refugees per year through the U.S. refugee program. The significant drop after 2001 shows the U.S. tightened immigration policy after September 11. Since 1007, there have been significant increases in numbers, as many Burmese, Bhutanese and Iraqis are being resettled.

The graph to the right illustrates the trend when a group is selected for resettlement. Before 2007, very few Burmese were resettled to the US. In 2007, resettlement opened up to them and between 14,000-18,000 have arrived every year since.

Comparative look at Bhutan, Sudan and Iraq

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20100

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000 Bhutan, Iraq and Sudan 2000-2009

BhutanIraqSudan

These three countries offer and interesting comparison in looking at refugee numbers and current situation in the actual country:

Bhutan: Until 2008, Bhutan had no refugees arriving in the United States, and the country has been at peace for the last 15-20 years. Sudan: The number of Sudanese refugees arriving in the US has decreased drastically over the past 8 years, however, the country is still producing thousands of refugees, and has been for many years.Iraq: Iraq has had a huge number of refugees arriving in the US over the last two years, yet has only been at war for 7 years.

Discussion: What are the reasons for the variation in numbers, based on a countries current situation? Is the resettlement program truly humanitarian, or are other issues involved?

Challenges…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_dmhUnXd8U

Refugee assistance only last for 6-8 months, and often times non-profit agencies are overloaded and understaffed, so refugees do not get proper care in their first months here. Language, educational and employment barriers often lead to a gap in services, including education, medical care and other social services. Refugees often feel isolated or unwanted in their new communities, as the community itself does not understand where they come from or diverse culturesLack of employment. Many refugees have a difficult time finding employment once they reach the United States. They end up on welfare, and if they do not have children to qualify for welfare, they end up homeless. While many refugees have suffered immense trauma, there are little to no mental health services upon arrival in the U.S.

How to help…..There are several organizations working with the refugees who are coming to the United States. You can get involved in a variety of ways, from tutoring, to donating work clothes to mentoring a family. Contact one of the agencies below for more information.

The International Rescue Committee- theirc.org

Catholic Charities USA- Catholiccharitiesusa.org

Lutheran Social Services-LutheranServices.org