Refugee Resettlement Fact Sheets
Note to readers: We wrote this in the summer of 2007 to help people in Washington Co. Maryland understand the Refugee Resettlement program, at a time when we couldn’t get adequate answers. It was a document which we distributed to our local elected officials and to concerned citizens. We had always intended to add more information and do additional fact sheets, but time has gotten away from us. The document is still valuable but now we know the whole program is even more complicated and so this is really only the bare bones of the refugee program.
Refugee Resettlement
Fact sheet
June 25, 2007
Volume 1, No. 1
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- The United Nations and the U.S. State Dept. work together to identify potential refugee populations worldwide. The President and Congress set a limit on the number to be admitted to the US each year. The cap at this time is 70,000 but approximately 53,000 have been admitted.
- Refugee Resettlement programs are authorized under several federal laws including Refugee Act of 1980.
- Ten (sometimes 11) major voluntary non-government agencies (Volags) carry out the function of resettling the refugees throughout the US. In total there are some 400 Volags and organizations with loose affiliations to Volags which have State Department contracts relating to refugee resettlement.
- Earlier refugee resettlement was primarily carried out in the so-called gateway cities such as New York and Los Angeles. The Clinton Administration issued a directive that required refugees to be distributed to every state in the US. However, some states, notably West Virginia, Delaware, Mississippi, Wyoming, and Arkansas get only a handful of refugees. * Charts for distribution of refugees by state are available.
- Funding for resettlement is distributed through grants and contracts from the U.S. State Dept., Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to the Volags. Each of the major Volags subcontracts to others. The cost to the Federal government (taxpayers) for Refugee resettlement in FY 2005 was $676 million. Projected costs for 2006 were $815 million (latest figures that I could obtain). That does not include welfare received by the refugees.The cost of on-going welfare for refugees dwarfs the annual bill for the resettlement program.
- Church World Services (CWS) received $24 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006 from the U.S. government (26% of its annual budget). It passed down $813,000 to Virginia Council of Churches (VCC) to carry out its resettlement work. According to Richard Cline, VCC receives approx. 90 % of its budget from government sources of funding. CWS has 28 subcontractors in 2007. * Annual budgets for CWS and VCC are available.
- The Volags receive $2000 for each refugee (including children) under an ORR program called Matching Grants. The Volag must provide $200 in cash of its own and $800 worth of items like used clothing, furniture and cars, and they then receive $2000 cash from the government. So, numbers matter to the Volags and competition for refugees is stiff. And, that is not the only source of taxpayer money for the Volags.
- Refugees get an interest-free loan for air travel to the US provided by the federal government that is not regularly repaid. As of 2002, about 43 percent of all such loans were unpaid, leaving a balance due the government of $436.5 million. *Report is available.
Volags are given 25% of any travel loans they can collect from the refugees.
- Volags bring refugees to communities they believe are “welcoming” and have jobs and low income housing, but do not thoroughly inform communities before hand of the planned resettlement. I believe the Volags have carved up the country in some way and actually have exclusive territories. It is a competitive business.
- For the first 30 days the refugees are funded with an $850 per family gift from the State Department. At 30 days they are eligible for all forms of welfare. Listed below:
Federal “Means-Tested” Public benefits available to refugees and successful asylees include:
> > Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) formerly known as AFDC
> > Medicaid
> > Food Stamps
> > Public Housing
> > Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
> > Social Security Disability Insurance
> > Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) (direct services only)
> > Child Care and Development Fund
> > Independent Living Program
> > Job Opportunities for Low Income Individuals (JOLI)
> > Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
> > Post secondary Education Loans and Grants
> > Refugee Assistance Programs
> > Title IV Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Payments (if parents are “qualified immigrants”)
> > Title XX Social Services Block Grant Funds
- Prior to 1980, refugee sponsoring agencies were totally responsible for all refugee needs, including housing, medical care and employment. Today they have virtually no responsibilities. A newly arriving refugee aged 65 can immediately retire on SSI/Medicaid never having worked a day in the U.S.
- After 4 months the Volags do not even have to know where the refugees are located. Therefore they have no legal requirements to make sure the refugees are o.k. and are assimilating. One very interesting statistic I noted was that a few refugees actually return to their country of origin which brings up the question of how persecuted were they in the first place. In Washington Co. an Iraqi family left the area soon after arrival telling people the conditions were deplorable.
- One area of change suggested by those advocating reform of refugee resettlement is to require Volags to identify sponsoring churches and organizations for each family and to be responsible for the family for a year before accessing welfare programs. Although not a legal contract requirement, VCC did not identify enough sponsors for refugees in Washington Co. and therefore many refugees were not adequately supported causing some of the political friction. Recently VCC stated that existing refugee families could sponsor new families which would not be a desirable solution.
- The National Governor’s Assn. was critical of the program in its Policy Position on Refugee Resettlement on March 5, 2007. They are concerned about the lack of consultation by the Volags in placement of refugees and they are concerned about the cost of refugee resettlement (a Federal responsibility) being passed down to state and local governments. * This report is available.
- It is often difficult to get accurate information from Volags about the numbers of refugees resettled in a community. VCC has stated publicly that they have resettled over 200 refugees in Washington Co. from Africa and Russia. In fact, the State Department places the number at 168 from 13 different countries. Of the 168, 125 are Muslim. Nationally about 50% of refugees brought to the US are Muslim. There are no Muslim Volags, most are various Christian faiths and one Jewish organization. * List of the major Volags is available.
- Employment statistics vary from location to location, but in ORR’s 2004 Report to Congress only 16% of refugees find a job in the first 3 months and at 12 months only 62% nationally have a job. The average hourly wage in a 5 year population sample was $8.90. *This report is available.
- The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for determining whether refugees pose any danger to the safety and security of the US, but this authority can be waived by the US State Department. For example, on May 5, 2006 Sec. of State Rice gave approval for the Burmese (Karen) people of the Tham Hin Camp in Thailand to enter the US even though some may be members of (or have given support to) the Karen National Liberation Army, considered a terrorist group by the US govt. Burmese (Karen) comprise the next group of refugees VCC would like to resettle in Washington Co. *Waiver is available.
- Some states have another layer of bureaucracy, a kind of go-between office, that helps to facilitate Refugee Resettlement between the Volags and the Federal government. In Maryland, it is the Maryland Office for New Americans (MONA). Although listed as part of Maryland’s Department of Human Services it is funded primarily by grants from the Federal Government.
- The cost of translation for such things as medical care, emergency response etc. is according to federal law the responsibility of the local government agency. In Washington Co., VCC says they are working with seven languages at the present time.
- I have found no location where a Volag does any formal written reporting about their plans in advance of bringing refugees to a community, or any report to local governments during the program.
- Other cities are having problems with Refugee Resettlement. Manchester, NH shut the program down completely after they had to build a wing on to the high school exclusively for English as a Second language students and had a problem with many refugee children having lead poisoning. Lewiston, ME tried to stop the influx of Somali Bantu but failed. Eastern Tennessee is having problems. Cayce, SC is the only town I have found so far that stopped Refugee Resettlement in advance.
Contact information:
Asst. Sec. of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Ellen R. Sauerbrey,
202-647-7360
Domestic Resettlement Section Chief, PRM, Dept. of State, Barbara Day, 202-663-1052
Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Assoc. Director Joshua Trent, 202-401-4556
Maryland Office for New Americans, Ed Linn or Martin Ford, 410-767-7192
Church World Services, Rev. Joseph Roberson, 212-870-2178
Virginia Council of Churches, Richard Cline, 804-321-3305
- For more information or where to find documents mentioned above, contact Ann Corcoran at refugeeresettlementwatch@vigilantfreedom.com
November 20, 2007 at 11:51 pm
This is so sickening to me. As we work ourselves to death we are being turned in to a mulit-ethnic and mulit-cultural cesspool.
November 27, 2007 at 12:19 pm
[...] always a shock to people when they first find out how Refugee Resettlement works. Ann and Judy over at Refugee Resettlement Watch started working on it last spring when [...]
January 17, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I have purposely chosen to live in an area of Dallas where refugees are resettled (going on 3 years in low income urban apts. My neighbors are all refugees. It seems that are some frustrations towards their resettlement in your article, but i would like to offer my experience. They are the best neighbors i’ve ever had.
One example: My Congolese neighbors escaped rebels in Congo after watching family members and family friends slaughtered before their eyes. The children still have nightmares. Here in the U.S., they proudly hang the U.S. flag to cover the entire living room wall. They are so proud to be in America- they hang up photos of George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Michael Jackson right next to the flag. Henry (the father) works fulltime at night to provide for his family. After being here one and a half years, they all finallyknow and speak fluent English. AND… he is repairing my car during the daytime and letting me drive his car to work! He repairs all the apt cars for his neighbors out of love and gratitude. Yeah, he is definitely bringing down the community…
My other neighbors- are equally hardworking, escaped equally traumatic experiences of famine and starvation, and are equally patriotic. I just don’t have time to write down each family.
I am an ESL teacher- why is it so awful to have ESL wings at highschool? Shouldn’t children and adults be learning English? Its pretty old fashioned for administrations to still flip out about this.
Here are some famous refugees… Albert Einsteen, Madeleine Albreit, Freud, Jackie Chan, Muhammad, oh yeah, and Jesus.
Chill out. I’m proud that my nation offers freedom to starving and endangered widows and orphans.
So I apologize on behalf of my African and Middle Eastern friends for wanting safety and food- at the expense of a few of your cents each year. I’m sure they are sorry to inconvenience you, Kim. I hope your life is filled with blessings of nice cars and silk linens despite all the sacfrices you give of your tax dollars. May the Lord repay you for your difficult life of working. Maybe He will hear your frustrations and start ignoring the cries of the weak and hungry in Africa and Asia so that YOU will have more opportunities.
p.s. I have also been working at a resettlement agency one year- i’m pretty sure the community of dallas is thankful for us. dallas has boasted of its involvement in refugee resettlement. quite different than some of the eastern states from your article.
January 19, 2008 at 7:29 am
[...] Refugee Resettlement Fact Sheets [...]
March 3, 2008 at 8:27 pm
“Manchester, NH shut the program down completely after they had to build a wing on to the high school exclusively for English as a Second language students and had a problem with many refugee children having lead poisoning.”
This is absolutely untrue. I attended that high school - the new building was a long time coming because the high school is old and overcrowded, not because of the influx of refugees. It is true that the refugee population has led to adjustments (and my high school did have a large refugee population), but by no means has it been detrimental to anyone’s education.
The resettlement program was on a brief hiatus as the lead poisoning issues were worked out, but they’ve begun resettling refugees in Manchester again - particularly Burundians and Iraqis.
June 4, 2008 at 12:24 am
I work in refugee resettlement. I’m a born American (white) and a convert from Christianity (Protestant) to Islam. I served in the US Air Force as a linguist during the first war in Iraq. I’m married to an east African woman.
After reading much of this site, I can’t tell exactly what the point is. Refugee resettlement in the US is undoubtedly flawed. You will get no argument from me on that. But is what upsets you so much the fact that many families being resettled in the US are Muslim? If you are against Muslims and/or Islam, that is your right but there would be no reason to argue about it. You must judge an individual and, if you’re Christian or Jewish, you have more than enough of your own issues to confront.
The reformation of resettlement in the US is something that should be discussed openly, as it is incredibly flawed. Contrary to what many think, the US gvt should not resettle people for purely humanitarian reasons. There must be some economic benefit to us as a nation or we’re waisting time and money.
The problems are, of course, rooted in policy at the highest levels of federal gvt. Current policy states that factors such as age, physical/mental disabilities, education, and work experience should not be considered when considering an individual for resettlement. I don’t think this is wise.
Recently the agency I work for resettled a single Burundian man, 74 yrs old, without relatives or friends in this area. He had health problems and couldn’t speak a word of English or Swahili (a common language among east and central Africans). The man died alone in his apartment less than two months after being resettled. It was a tragedy, first and most importantly, on a human level, as he was alone and far from anything familiar. It was also tragic that so many people spent so much time and money to fly him tens of thousands of miles to die alone. One example of how age and health should be considered when processing (the term used) a refugee for resettlement.
I could speak for days on some of the issues raised on this website, some of them I agree with. My last word here, however, is to implore those who are angry and resentful not to be angry at those who are being resettled. They are men and women, like ourselves, with children and a profound hope for a better future in the greatest country on Earth. If we encourage them, welcome them, and HELP THEM TO ASSIMILATE many of them will become great contributers to our local communities and our greater society.
As Katie Mathis wrote above, Jesus was a refugee. There are so many Bible passages about welcoming the stranger. It is a Jewish, Christian, and Muslim (believe it or not) tradition and a basic human virtue that we should all strive for.
By the way, resettlement agencies usually do not know that a family will come to them from one of the ten volags until a month or so before that family comes. That’s when we get what’s called an Arrival Notification. We would love to have more communication with local communities where the families will be resettled but most of the time it simply isn’t possible - at least for us here. And there’s no grand scheme for Muslims to take over the country. Funny thought because we can barely organize our own mosques. As a Muslim I can promise you it’ll never happen.
June 8, 2008 at 2:48 pm
My response to Mike is here: http://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/answering-mike-volag-employee-sends-a-comment-worth-talking-about/
July 21, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Your statements about Manchester NH are incorrect. Refugee resettlement has not been shut down there; new refugees continue to arrive and succeed; and the lead poisoning problems occured because many refugees can afford only the poorest housing stock, where lead paint is a danger to any child. As far as disclosures by resettlement organizations, I agree that full, accurate information is valuable to communities where refugees settle. In that spirit, I think it would be helpful if the writers/editors of your site disclosed whether they have actual experience with/acquaintances who are refugees. As a volunteer who has worked with people from several different resettled populations, it sounds to me like you do not actually know the people you are writing about. I enjoy working with them, and do it in part to honor my Irish immigrant ancestors, who were the poorest of the poor and who I am sure were despised as uncouth interlopers in their neighborhood in New York City in the 1860s.