Refugee 101 Webinar 10 23 (3) · refugee. And the first thing? A home in which to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. Over the past five years Hartford has become home to thousands

Refugee 101October 23, 2008

Homa Naficy

The American Place Coordinator

Hartford Public Library

Valerie Wonder

Immigrant and Refugee Programs Manager

The Seattle Public Library

What is a refugee?

A person who has fled his/her country due to

persecution on account of race, religion,

nationality, member of particular social group, or

political opinion.

There are 16 million refugees in the world today.

Refugees Worldwide

3.1 millionAfghans

370,000Congolese (DRC)

375,000Burundians

450,000Somalis

525,000Sudanese

550,000Columbians

2.3 million Iraqis

4.6 millionPalestinians

Ethnicities of major refugee populations (as at Dec 31, 2007 -- largest groups)

What is an internally displaced

person (IDP)?

An IDP is a person who has been forced to leave

their home, but has not crossed an international

border. It includes people who are displaced for

environmental or economic reasons and also

those who are fleeing persecution, but who have

not crossed an international border.

At the end of 2007 there were an estimated 26

million IDPs worldwide.

What happens to refugees?

Refugee camps• Set up by a national government, NGOs or

UNHCR (United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees)

• Intended to be temporary, but often remain in use for years -- over 7 million refugees have spent at least 10 years in camps.

• House tens or hundreds of thousands of people

• Often provide medical care, hygiene facilities, shelter and food – sometimes schooling and other services

• Safety and security are always concerns, host country generally provides security forces.

Urban refugees

• Fewer services, less legal protections

• Sometimes persecuted, often ineligible for work, social programs, or even school

• More autonomy and more likely to be financially self-sufficient

Host country governments, UNHCR, and INGOs work to handle the emergency situation, and then to seek “durable solutions” for refugee protection.

1) Voluntary repatriation

2) Local integration

3) Resettlement

What options exist for refugees?

Worldwide Resettlement

11,200Canada

Other countries: The Netherlands,

Benin, Burkina Faso, Brazil, Chile,

Denmark, Finland, Iceland ,Ireland,

and the United Kingdom

740New Zealand

1,100Norway

1,800Sweden

9,600Australia

48,300United States

Main countries of refugee

resettlement in 2006

US Resettlement

Number of refugees resettled in US by year

0

25,000

50,000

75,000

100,000

125,000

150,000

175,000

200,000

225,000

1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004

US Resettlement

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

South America

Number of refugees resettled in the US by year

and country of origin

551,23448,21741,15053,73852,83728,30426,77368,92572,143Total

1,245 54 119 331 579 149 8 5 -

South

America

25,450 2,922 3,145 6,368 2,998 305 1,924 2,968 3,233

North

America

241,589 4,561 10,456 11,316 9,254 11,269 15,406 31,526 37,664 Europe

127,748 23,195 9,245 14,977 10,896 5,862 6,885 15,356 13,622 Asia

155,202 17,485 18,185 20,746 29,110 10,719 2,550 19,070 17,624 Africa

Total20072006200520042003200220012000

US ResettlementNumber of refugees resettled in the US by year

and region of origin

• Priority 1 : Individual referrals Refugees from any country who have been officially recognized as refugees and for whom resettlement appears to be the best option.

• Priority 2 : Groups of special humanitarian concern Identified by Department of State, UNHCR, overseas posts, and nongovernmental organizations.

• Priority 3 : Family unification Spouses, unmarried children under 21, or parents of individuals already lawfully admitted to the United States as refugees or asylees. The Department of State each year identifies qualifying countries each year.

US Resettlement

• Basic criteria for resettlement in the US: – meet definition of a refugee

– found to have a valid persecution claim

– be otherwise admissible under United States law

• Dept Homeland Security file and interview

• Medical examination, security name check, and background check

US Resettlement

Refugee arrivals by state, 2006

US Resettlement

•California 5,163

•Minnesota 4,578

•Texas 2,764

•Florida 2,582

•Washington 2,458

•New York 2,303

Resettlement agencies (also known as voluntary agencies or “volags”)– Church World Service (CWS)

– Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC)

– Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM)

– Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)

– International Rescue Committee (IRC)

– US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

– Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS)

– United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

– World Relief Corporation (WR)

– State of Iowa, Bureau of Refugee Services

US Resettlement

Required services

• Airport pickup• Home orientation• Housing, food, furniture, utilities• Clothing• Social security card sign ups, draft registration• Health screenings, other referrals• School enrollment, ESL referrals• Basic safety training• Special care of unaccompanied minors• Green card application assistance

US Resettlement

Unfunded services

Programs:• Enrichment programs• Mentoring and tutoring• Youth programs• Community orientations• Financial and health literacy• ESL programs• School readiness and parental involvement• Emergency preparedness• Job training

Services• Additional interpretation services• Continued case work• Immigration and family reunification assistance

US Resettlement

New groups

US Resettlement

2000-2006

• “Lost Boys” of Sudan

• Somali Bantus from

Kenya

• Iranian Baha’i

• Vietnamese from the

Philippines

2007-2009

• Iraqis

• Burmese Karen

• Burmese Chin

• Bhutanese

• Burundians

• Congolese?

• Eritreans in Shimelba?

• Tibetans?

Challenges

• Language and literacy

• Employment

• Navigating the systems

• Prejudice

• Isolation

•Time out of school

• Tensions between youth and parents

US Resettlement

What is an asylum seeker?

Those who arrive in the United States and then apply for 'asylum' – for the same reasons as a refugee. Those who are granted asylum are then referred to as “asylees,” and are eligible for many of the services and programs that come with refugee status.

Somali

Bantu

• From Tanzania to rural Somalia to Kenyan

refugee camps to the United States

• Muslim

• Large families

• Pre-literate

• Farmers

• Rural

Meskhetian Turks

• From Turkey to Georgia to Uzbekistan

to Russia to the United States

• Muslim

• Small families

• Educated

• Employed

• Urban

Burmese Karen and Chin

• Few job skills but strong work ethic

• Mainly rural– year in camps

• Elementary education common, but not English skills

Iraqis

• Urban

• Job challenges

• Some highly educated English translators

• Most educated but not English speaking

• Health and dental issues

Volags working with libraries

• IRC Baltimore’s Professional Pathways Program workshops are held every other week at the library –which provides a large conference room and computers

• Boston Public Library checks out museum passes that local refugee mentors frequently use to show new families around the city

• Many Volags say they encourage mentors to take refugees to libraries; some do regular library tours and orientations.

Work with volags to provide library tours, card sign ups, and

orientations

Offer space for training and

community orientations (but be

sure to set up a display!)

Share resources with volunteer mentors and tutors who work with

refugees

Find out what volags want to offer

but can’t—fill in the gaps

Reaching new refugees

Host welcome program for both new refugees and entire community to help build bridges and develop relationships

Reaching established refugee

communities

• Collaborate with MAAs/CBOs

– Seattle Public Library partnership with Horn of

Africa Services

• Use non-English media

• Be flexible in policies and practices

• Bring programs to families

• Ask questions, don’t be afraid to mess up

www.hplct.org/tap

worldatlas.com

Learning EnglishLearning English

Learning EnglishLearning English

Independent StudyIndependent Study

Independent Study ~ MaterialIndependent Study ~ Material

DVDs, CDs, & CD-ROMs

California Language Lab

http://www.esltapes.com/

Attainment

www.attainmentcompany.com

SOFTWARE

Lexia

MUSIC

Jazz Chants by Carolyn Graham

www.oup.com/us

TEXTS American Writing Slow and Easy by

Janette Haynes

www.deltapublishing.com

Picture DictionariesOxford, Heinle, Longman

Alpha Smart

www.alphasmart.com

Cultural Exchange ~ Refugee DayCultural Exchange ~ Refugee Day




Promoting Global ConsciousnessPromoting Global Consciousness

Children of DarfurChildren of DarfurJune 15 - June 20

An exhibition of photos and crayon drawings depicting the horrors of war as

seen through the hearts and eyes of refugee children.

Who is a Refugee?

Monday, June 19, 2006 (1:30 to 4:00)

Agenda 1:30 – 1:45 Registration

1:45 – 2:00 Welcome & Introductions

2:00 – 2:10 Joseph Morris, Liberian Refugee Community

2:10 – 2:35 Lisa Weinberg, Political Asylum and Human Trafficking

Attorney, International Institute of Boston

2:35 – 2:45 Magda Ahmed, Western Massachusetts, Save Darfur

Coalition

2:45 – 3:10 Terry Rusch, Director of Refugee Admissions, U.S.

Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

3:10 – 3:25 Chinekwu Obidoa, Catholic Charities, Migration and

Refugee Services

3:25 – 3:35 Ibrahim Abdulle, Somali Bantu Community

3:35 – 4:00 Q&As

4:00 Closing Remarks

4:30 – 6:00 Live Performances Begin!



Recommended Films

The Killing Fields

Hotel Rwanda

Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of

Roméo Dallaire (Documentary)

The Letter (Documentary)

The Lost Boys of Sudan (Documentary)


Recommended Books

The Spirit Catches and You Fall by Anne

Fedaman (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux,

1997)

The Middle of Everywhere by Mary Pipher

(Harcourt, 2002)

A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy

Solder by Ishamael Beah (Farrar, Straus

and Giroux, 2007)

Building RelationsBuilding Relations

This event is made possible by with support from Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services, Hartford Sister Cities, Hartford Public Schools, International Institute of CT, and other partnering agencies: Asian Family Services; Connecticut Coalition of Mutual Assistance Associations, Connecticut Coalition to Save Darfur, Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Liberian Refugee Community of Hartford, Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford, Pakistan American Association of Connecticut (PAACT), Refugee Assistance Center at Jubilee House, Somali Bantu Community, Inc., and Trinity College.

Hartford A Place to Call Home

The last thing refugees want is to be a refugee. And the first thing? A home in which to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. Over the past five years Hartford has become home to thousands of refugees from all over the world. Please join us on June 20, 2007. Welcome our refugee neighbors to their new home and share their rich cultural heritage. Free and open to all.



Documents

Refugee 101 Webinar 10 23 (3) · refugee. And the first thing? A home in which to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. Over the past five years Hartford has become home to thousands