Transcript Refugee Resettlement Process Carleen Miller, MA, LMHC, LMFT Executive Director Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc. [email protected] (317) 921-0836

Refugee Resettlement
Process
Carleen Miller, MA, LMHC, LMFT
Executive Director
Exodus Refugee Immigration Inc.
[email protected]
(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
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Strict rules
Basic Health Care
Basic Education
No citizenship
Over crowded
Under-supplied
Exposed to disease
Crime
Disabling – cooking, working
Other harsh conditions
Thailand Camp
Malaysia Refugee
Area
Refugee “Camp” in Jordan
-bbc
Iraqi Refugee in Rented Apartment in Jordan
-BBC
Liberian Children in a Refugee
camp in Ghana
Possible Solutions
1) Repatriation: Returning to their home
country
a) Waiting
b) Resolve conflict
2) Nationalization: Citizenship of host
country
3) Resettlement:
a) 1% of 1% get resettled
b) US resettles 60% of resettled refugees
c) 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
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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 Refugees
Before 9/11- 70,000 refugees
After 9/11- 30,000 refugees
Now- 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
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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
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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
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Language
Culture
Schools
American appliances
Employment
Transportation
Bills
Budget
Banking
Prejudice
• Health and Mental
Health
• Substance Abuse
• Climate
• Loss
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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
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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
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Food
Businesses
Consumers
Art
Ritual
Language
Religion
Diversity
Strong Family Ties
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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 of
Persons of Courage and Hope