refugee 101 webinar 10 23 (3) · refugee. and the first thing? a home in which to rebuild their...
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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
Cultural Exchange ~ Refugee DayCultural Exchange ~ Refugee Day
Cultural Exchange ~ Refugee DayCultural Exchange ~ Refugee Day
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!
Promoting Global ConsciousnessPromoting Global Consciousness
Promoting Global ConsciousnessPromoting Global Consciousness
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)
Promoting Global ConsciousnessPromoting Global Consciousness
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.
Building RelationsBuilding Relations
Building RelationsBuilding Relations