[Federal Register: August 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 154)]
[Notices]
[Page 45084-45085]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au07-136]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5881]
State-60 Refugee Processing Center Records
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of State proposes
to alter an existing system of records, STATE-60, 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 9, 2007.
It is proposed that the current system will retain the name
``Refugee Processing Center 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 20522-8001. 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 Processing Center
Records, State-60,'' will read as set forth below.
Dated: July 6, 2007.
Raj Chellaraj,
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Administration Department of
State.
State-60
System name:
Refugee Processing Center Records
Security classification:
Unclassified
System location:
Refugee Processing Center, 1401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700,
Arlington, VA 22209.
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
Individuals who apply for admission to the United States under the
U.S. refugee program.
Categories of records in the system:
The categories of records maintained by the Refugee Processing
Center are primarily the electronic master records of overseas refugee
applications in the Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System
(WRAPS), data input records related to processing steps performed by
the Refugee Processing Center, periodic and ad hoc statistical and case
status reports related to refugee processing, systems documentation for
WRAPS, WRAPS training materials, and system audit reports. Records
previously maintained under STATE-60 by the Refugee Data Center (RDC)
in New York have been transferred to the Refugee Processing Center and
comprise part of the records described above.
WRAPS includes electronic information on individual applicants for
admission to the United States as refugees described under ``Refugee
Case Records,'' as STATE-59. The case record is entered or scanned by
overseas processing entities under cooperative agreement with the
Department of State.
Records categories entered by the Refugee Processing Center include
Affidavits of Relationship (AOR); voluntary agency interests; series of
alien numbers (A) transferred by U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS); electronic files with biographic data of
refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR); electronic files from the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) with travel information; namecheck and other security
clearances from the Bureau of Consular Affairs; and electronic files
from voluntary agencies with sponsorship assurance and arrival data.
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:
The primary use of records in this system is to support the Bureau
of Population, Refugees and Migration in tracking and managing case
processing of applicants for the U.S. refugee program from application
through the initial reception and placement in the United States of
those individuals approved for resettlement. Centralized electronic
storage and retrieval helps
[[Page 45085]]
operational managers in the Department and the field identify and
resolve processing delays, plan more accurately for refugee arrivals,
improve program analysis, and preserve field records in case of
evacuation or disasters in overseas processing locations. Only
employees of the Refugee Processing Center have unrestricted access to
records in this system.
Routine disclosure of information from these records includes:
(1) To employees and contractors of the Department of State,
including the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, 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 employees of the Department of State and contractor personnel
of the Refugee Processing Center have undergone a background security
check. Access to the Department and its annexes is controlled by
security guards and admission is limited to those individuals
possessing a valid identification card or individuals under proper
escort. All records containing personal information are maintained in
secured file cabinets or in restricted areas, access to which is
limited to authorized personnel. Access to computerized files is
password-protected and under the direct supervision of the system
manager. The system manager can monitor and audit trails of access.
Retention and disposal:
These records will be maintained under existing records schedules
approved by the National Archives and Records Administration for
Refugee Data Center (RDC) records, STATE-60, until the Department of
State receives approval from the National Archives and Records
Administration for proposed records schedules for the Refugee
Processing Center. 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.
Notification procedure:
Individuals who have reason to believe that the Office of
Admissions 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 Processing
Center Records 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).
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. E7-15691 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-24-P