The (Re)Construction of the U.S. Department of State’s Reception and Placement Program by Refugee Resettlement Agencies

At a time when the U.S. refugee admissions program is under serious threat and the world’s displaced population is at its highest, this Report sets forth extensive recommendations regarding the United States’ role in protecting vulnerable refugees and compliance with its commitments under domestic and international law that together safeguard people fleeing persecution and fearing return to torture. The Report also identifies key national security reasons for supporting and enhancing the refugee program in keeping with U.S. foreign policy priorities. Additionally, the Report provides an in-depth discussion of the robust, multistep security-assessment mechanisms already in place for screening refugees; offers viable policy solutions to improve the integration of resettled refugees through enhanced collaboration among government agencies, private resettlement agencies, and sponsors involved in domestic resettlement; and demonstrates the positive economic impact of refugee resettlement in the United States. Drawing on the perspectives of longtime domestic refugee resettlement experts, the Report also provides fresh insights into how publicprivate partnerships function in refugee resettlement and the ways in which they can be strengthened.

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Expanding Our Community: Independent and Interdependent Factors Impacting Refugee Successful Community Resettlement

Advances in Social Work ◽

10.18060/1956 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 306-324 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

DeBrenna LaFa Agbényiga ◽

Salamatu Barrie ◽

Valentina Djelaj ◽

Stepanie J. Nawyn

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Data ◽

Social Structures ◽

Support Network ◽

Refugee Resettlement ◽

Knowledge Based ◽

Refugee Families ◽

Physical Health Outcomes ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health ◽

The U.S

Evidence suggests that despite the aid from resettlement agencies, many refugees find the resettlement process extraordinarily stressful and have reported significant negative mental and physical health outcomes. The literature on refugee resettlement often focuses on the challenges that these individuals encounter in their new environment. However, less research has focused on community barriers and lack of support issues that can prevent refugees from resettling in the U.S. Using qualitative data collected from Burmese and Burundian refugee groups, this article examines the impact of social structures on the resettlement process. Results indicate that gaps in service delivery such as employment and housing are affected by support from the resettlement agencies and the refugees’ social support network. Results of this study contribute to the knowledge based on how best to assist refugee families.

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Ethiopian Refugee Resettlement in the Western United States: Social Context and Psychological Well-Being

International Migration Review ◽

10.1177/019791838702100319 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 796-819 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Lucia Ann McSpadden

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Well Being ◽

Western United States ◽

Refugee Resettlement ◽

Access To Higher Education ◽

Single Male ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

High Level ◽

Differential Ability ◽

The U.S

The reported high level of depression and suicide among Ethiopian single male refugees is often related to their being culturally and ethnically distinct in the U.S. Research investigating the psychological well-being of these refugees in California, Washington and Nevada indicates that the level of stress among Ethiopian refugees resettled by agencies is higher than the stress of those resettled by volunteers. When English facility is held constant, the differential ability of these two resettlement methodologies to provide appropriate employment and access to higher education varies directly with the stress levels. Recommendations for improvement of resettlement are offered.

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Making Sense of U.S. Refugee Resettlement: Utica as a Model for the Nation

The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science ◽

10.1177/0002716220941463 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 690 (1) ◽

pp. 176-183

Author(s):

Anne C. Richard ◽

Shelly Callahan

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Local Level ◽

The State ◽

Refugee Resettlement ◽

National Context ◽

Making Sense ◽

Complex Process ◽

The Future ◽

The U.S ◽

Trump Administration

Refugee integration is a complex process, realized differently by different groups at different times. This article examines the larger global and national context in which decisions about refugees are made and illustrates impacts of these decisions at the local level. A close look at refugee resettlement in Utica, New York, reveals that positive benefits have accrued to the community there over decades. Trump administration policies have cut in half the number of refugees arriving in that city, but the resultant advocacy for the Utica refugee resettlement office led to new income from the State of New York, preserving the city’s ability to participate in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program now and in the future.

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