Refugee Resettlement Process

Carleen Miller, MA, LMHC, LMFTExecutive Director

Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc.cmiller@exodusrefugee.org

(317) 921-0836

INDIANA’S REFUGEE COMMUNITY

For more than 35 years Indiana has participated in a humanitarian movement to assist refugees and facilitate resettlement.

Refugees in Indiana have come from:Burma, Columbia, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq,

Afghanistan, Liberia, Russia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, DR of the Congo, and other countries

A Refugee is …

A person who "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 to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country"

Refugees vs. Displaced Persons

- Forced to leave homes

- Crossed the border- Internationally

recognized- 12-15 million

estimated

- Forced to leave homes

- Remain in the country of origin

- Not internationally recognized

- 25 million

Fleeing Their Homeland

• Persecution, ethnic cleansing, human rights violations, torture, imprisonment

• Lives threatened• Forced to leave without warning• Not able to bring any basic supplies• Leave with family and clothes on their

backs, danger along the way

Life in the Refugee Camps• Strict rules • Basic Health Care• Basic Education• No citizenship• Over crowded• Under-supplied• Exposed to disease• Crime• Disabling – cooking,

working• Other harsh conditions

Thailand CampMalaysia Refugee

Area

Refugee “Camp” in Jordan-bbc

Iraqi Refugee in Rented Apartment in Jordan-BBC

Liberian Children in a Refugee camp in Ghana

Possible Solutions1) Repatriation: Returning to their

home country a) Waitingb) Resolve conflict

2) Nationalization: Citizenship of host country

3) Resettlement:a) 1% of 1% get resettledb) US resettles 60% of resettled refugeesc) Extremely difficult choice for refugees

“Refugee" Status• Application

– Four Interviews with the UNHCR

• 3rd Country’s own criteria for resettlement

• Long wait for an available slot

Assigning Countries• UNHCR

– Establishes legal status as refugee for applicant

– United States, Australia, Canada, Scandinavian countries, New Zealand, Great Britain, Holland and others.

– Affidavit of Relationship (family reunification)– Random assignments– Community grouping

Refugee Processing

• Two international agencies work in countries of first asylum to process refugee applicants for resettlement– The Joint Voluntary Agency and the International

Organization for Migration• Provide initial screening, interviews and

processing of cases for immigration and naturalization

• IOM also coordinates travel of refugees to resettlement countries

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services Part of Department of Homeland Security and US Department of Health and Human Services

• Only accept refugees from 14 countries• Conduct interviews overseas• Limit on number allowed into US• Must be approved to enter the US• Determine if resettlement is only viable

option• Must meet certain guidelines once living

here– Identification– Health –Criminal Record

Material Support• Patriot Act

– Material Support• Changed the definition of terrorism

• Impact on RefugeesBefore 9/11- 70,000 refugeesAfter 9/11- 30,000 refugeesNow- 70,000 refugees

Assignment to Voluntary Agencies

• US Department of State, Office for Populations, Refugees and Migration (PRM) allocates refugee cases

• Ten National Agencies receive refugee cases and assign to affiliates in the United States

• Indiana has four affiliates. Two are associated with US Conference of Catholic Bishops. One is affiliated with Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries and one is affiliated with World Relief

Pre-Arrival Preparation

• Affiliates get assigned cases – we accept or deny

• Limited paperwork is sent on client demographics such as family composition ethnicity, language, religion and any known medical issues (from medical screening).

• Notice comes 1-2 weeks before arrival in the United States

US Refugee Funding• US State Department, PRM provides each

resettlement agency with $900 per refugee. $450 must go to the refugee as cash or rent etc. $450 can be used to support the services of the agency

• Office of Refugee Resettlement ORR (Part of the Department for Health and Human Services HHS) provides grants to support self-sufficiency services such as employment, language training and alternatives to welfare programs

• Private Donations

Refugee Resettlement in the Placement City

• Start with nothing• Apartment set up• Airport pick up• Apartment Orientation• Core Services and Cultural Orientation

– Basic needs (furniture, clothing, food, rental assistance)

– Health– Welfare (Medicaid, Food Stamps, Limited Cash

Assistance)– Language and Job Training– Education– Self-sufficiency Programs– Employment Services

Refugees In Indiana Today

• Burma– Ethnic Groups Who Speak Different Languages

and Have Different Cultural Norms• Burmese• Chin • Karen• Karenni• Mon• Other (Chinese-Burmese, Kachin, Rakhine, Shan)

Refugees in Indiana Today• Iraqi

– Shiite– Sunni– Christian

• Iranians

• Eritrean

• Chinese

• Other African and Asian Countries

Challenges facing Resettled Refugees

• Language• Culture • Schools • American appliances• Employment• Transportation• Bills• Budget • Banking• Prejudice

• Health and Mental Health

• Substance Abuse• Climate• Loss

• Americans’ knowledge of refugees– Awareness– Flexibility– Cultural competency– Understanding refugees are

legal United States Residents

– Health concerns

Resettlement Shock for Iraqi Refugees in US

Sunni/Shiite/Christian

• Resettled into poverty• Professional credentials not recognized• Lower standard of living and status• Diversity adjustment and small Arabic

community• Long transition period• Tenacious and resourceful

Contributions Refugees Make to Indiana

• Food• Businesses• Consumers• Art• Ritual• Language• Religion• Diversity• Strong Family Ties

• Industrious Workforce• Community Service• Civic Pride• Professionals in a

variety of fields• Generations to come of

passionate committed citizens

• Hope and Courage

Indianapolis is Home to Thousands ofPersons of Courage and Hope