[Federal Register: August 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 154)]
[Notices]
[Page 45081-45083]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au07-134]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5880]
State-59 Refugee Case Records
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of State proposes
to alter an existing system of records, STATE-59, pursuant to the
provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C.(r)), and
Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-130, Appendix I. The
Department's report was filed with the Office of Management and Budget
on July 10, 2007.
It is proposed that the current system will retain the name
``Refugee Case Records.'' It is also proposed that due to the expanded
scope of the current system, the altered system description will
include revisions and/or additions to the following sections: System
Location; Categories of Individuals covered by the System; Authority
for Maintenance of the System; and Routine Uses of Records Maintained
in the System, Including Categories of Users and Purposes of such Uses.
Changes to the existing system description are proposed in order to
reflect more accurately the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and
Migration record-keeping system, the Authority establishing its
existence and responsibilities, and the uses and users of the system.
Any persons interested in commenting on the altered system of
records may do so by submitting comments in writing to Margaret P.
Grafeld, Director; Office of Information Programs and Services; A/ISS/
IPS; Department of State, SA-2; Washington, DC 20522-8100. This system
of records will be effective 40 days from the date of publication,
unless we receive comments that will result in a contrary
determination.
The altered system description, ``Refugee Case Records, State-59,''
will read as set forth below.
Dated: July 9, 2007.
Raj Chellaraj,
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Administration,Department of
State.
STATE-59
System name:
Refugee Case Records.
Security classification:
Unclassified.
System location:
(1) Refugee processing posts, that is, designated U.S. embassies,
consulates and/or offices of overseas processing entities (agencies
under cooperative
[[Page 45082]]
agreement with the Department of State that assist in the processing of
applicants); (2) the Refugee Processing Center, 1401 Wilson Blvd.,
Arlington, VA 22209. The U.S. Department of State may change processing
locations as needed. A list of refugee processing posts is available
from the Office of Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and
Migration, Room 5824, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520.
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
Individuals who have applied for admission to the United States
under the U.S. refugee program.
Categories of records in the system:
Refugee or Visa-93 application and supporting documentation,
including required biographic, biometric, medical, security, and
sponsorship information, as well as correspondence related to
individual refugee.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
8 U.S.C. 1522(b) (Authorization for Programs for Initial Domestic
Resettlement of and Assistance to Refugees); 8 U.S.C. 1157 (Annual
Admission of Refugees and Admission of Emergency Situation Refugees);
Letter of President Carter of January 13, 1981, 17 Weekly Compilation
of Presidential Documents, Pg. 2880 (Refugee Resettlement Grants
Program).
Purpose(s):
The information contained in this system of records is collected
and maintained by the Office of Admissions, Bureau of Population,
Refugees, and Migration, in the administration of its responsibility
for the U.S. refugee admissions program.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories
of users and purposes of such uses:
These records may routinely be disclosed:
(1) To employees and contractors of the Department of State,
including the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the Refugee
Processing Center (RPC), overseas processing entities under cooperative
agreement with the Department of State, and U.S. embassies or
consulates, to coordinate and manage the U.S. refugee admissions
program. The level of access to records depends on the user's official
function.
(2) To the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to
determine the eligibility and admissibility of individuals applying for
admission to the United States as refugees.
(3) To the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to
arrange appropriate transportation to the United States, including
departure and transit formalities.
(4) To the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to
coordinate resettlement and protection activities.
(5) To members of Congress or other Federal, State, and local
government agencies having statutory or other lawful authority, as
needed for the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement
of immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States.
(6) See also the ``Routine Uses'' paragraph of the Department's
Prefatory Statement published in the Federal Register November 10,
2004.
(7) Additional routine uses include:
a. Biographic, educational, employment, and medical information may
be disclosed to voluntary agency sponsors to ensure appropriate
resettlement in the United States.
b. Statistical and demographic information from these records may
be disclosed to state refugee coordinators, health officials, and
interested community organizations.
c. Arrival and address information may be disclosed to consumer
reporting agencies (31 U.S.C. 3711), debt collection contractors (31
U.S.C. 3718), and the Department of Treasury (31 U.S.C. 3716) to assist
in the collection of indebtedness reassigned to the U.S. Government
under the refugee travel loan program administered by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM).
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Electronic media, hard copy.
Retrievability:
Individual name, case number, alien number, and sponsor name.
Safeguards:
All records containing personal information are maintained in
secured file cabinets and/or in restricted areas. Access is limited to
authorized personnel and contractors of the Department of State, the
Refugee Processing Center, overseas processing entities, U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, and others specifically
authorized under the ``Guidelines for the Treatment of Refugee Records
Maintained by Overseas Processing Entities,'' an appendix to the
Department of State's cooperative agreement with overseas processing
entities. Access to computerized files is password-protected and
controlled by user roles under the direct supervision of the system
manager who can monitor and audit trails of access.
Retention and disposal:
Record retention depends upon the outcome of the individual's
application for admission. Active case records will be maintained until
an application has been placed in inactive status, at which time they
will be retired or destroyed in accordance with published records
schedules of the Department of State as approved by the National
Archives and Records Administration. If individuals have been
interviewed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),
their files are transferred to the USCIS and subject to its disposition
schedules. More specific information may be obtained by writing to the
Director; Office of Information Programs and Services; SA-2; Department
of State; 515 22nd Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522-8100.
System manager and address:
Director, Office of Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees and
Migration; SA-1, Suite L-505; Department of State; 2401 E Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20522. At specific overseas locations, the on-site
system manager may be the Refugee Coordinator, the Refugee Officer, the
consular officer responsible for refugee processing, or the overseas
processing entity representative.
Notification procedure:
Individuals who have reason to believe that the Department of State
might have records pertaining to themselves should write to the
Director; Office of Information Programs and Services; SA-2; Department
of State; 515 22nd Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522-8100. The
individual must specify that he/she wishes the Refugee Case Records of
a specific processing location to be checked. At a minimum, the
individual should include: Name (and any aliases); date and place of
birth; the approximate date of arrival in the United States; his/her
immigration ``A'' number; current mailing address and zip code; and
signature.
Record access and amendment procedures:
Individuals who wish to gain access to or amend records pertaining
to themselves should write to the Director; Office of Information
Programs and Services (address above).
[[Page 45083]]
Record source categories:
These records contain information obtained primarily from the
individual who is the subject of these records, relatives, sponsors,
members of Congress, U.S. Government agencies, overseas processing
entities, voluntary agencies, international organizations, and local
sources at overseas posts.
Systems exempted from certain provisions of the Act:
Certain records within this system of records are exempted from 5
U.S.C. 552a(c)(3), (d), (e)(10), (e)(4)(G), (H), and (I), and (f). See
Department of State Rules published in the Federal Register.
[FR Doc. E7-15689 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
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