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Refugee Resettlement in the US: An Examination of Challenges and Solutions. Photo: http://www.theirc.org/our-work/resettling-refugees#. Key Terms.
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Refugee Resettlement in the US: An Examination of Challenges and Solutions Photo: http://www.theirc.org/our-work/resettling-refugees#
Key Terms • Refugee: A person who has fled from his or her home country and cannot return because he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. • Resettlement: Less than 1% of refugees are resettled. UNHCR determines if an individual qualifies as a refugee and, if so, works toward the best possible durable solution for each refugee: safe return to the home country, local integration, or third-country resettlement.
Key Facts • UNHCR estimates there are currently 15.4 million refugees • U.S. takes in around 2/3 of resettled refugees • In 2012, U.S. accepted more than 62,000 refugees • Top arrival groups: Bhutan, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iraq, Somalia, DRC, Iran, Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia • UNHCR anticipates that refugees from Afghanistan, Colombia, the DRC, Myanmar, Iraq, and Somalia will be among the populations with the greatest resettlement needs in 2013 • A persistent gap exists between global resettlement needs in 2013 (181,000) and places available (81,000)
Strengths of USRAP • Partnership between government agencies and non-governmental organizations • Immediate reception of refugees • Provision of language assistance during refugees’ first 90 days in the U.S. • Programs such as Matching Grant
CHALLENGES • Conflicting policy goals • Obstacles to coordination and planning between agencies, both domestic and international • Insufficient pre-departure orientation • The “Lottery effect”, i.e. lack of uniform set of services provided to refugees • Lack of adequate funding • Lack of systematic monitoring and evaluation
Commission a comprehensive analysis of the domestic resettlement system . • Ensure that information collected overseas is passed on to receiving resettlement agencies. • Make projections about the needs and assets of receiving communities, and use that information to make proactive decisions about placement. • Monitor and assess outcomes indicators other than employment, such as mobility, housing, education, health status, social connections, and language skills. • Expand employment services to include recertification, job-specific employment training and extended language training. • Establish a long-term and comprehensive orientation program that takes place while refugees accepted for resettlement to the U.S. await departure. • Implement existing policy to allow secondary migration among without loss of services. RECOMMENDATIONS