 Questions & Answers - Iraqi Refugees
Office of Refugee Resettlement
Q. What Federal Agency is responsible for determining which refugees are admitted to the United States?
- The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). PRM contracts Overseas Processing Entities to prepare cases for adjudication by the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), within DHS. USCIS conducts individual interviews with each case and is responsible for determining who is eligible for admission to the U.S. as a refugee.
Q. What Federal Agency is responsible for domestic resettlement of refugees after they arrive in the United States?
- Through the Reception & Placement Program, PRM funds 10 national voluntary agencies to provide initial resettlement services to newly arriving refugees. All refugees approved for admission to the United States are provided with sponsorship and resettlement services appropriate to their personal circumstances by one of these organizations.
Reception and placement services for refugees are delivered in addition to, and in coordination with, services administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), within the Administration for Children and Families, an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). ORR funds and coordinates a network of state and nonprofit organizations that provide refugees with critical resources to assist them in becoming integrated members of American society. For more information on ORR, please visit: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr
Q. What will be popular areas for Iraqi resettlement? How are states chosen for resettlement?
- The national voluntary agencies contracted by PRM are responsible for deciding the placement of refugees in locations throughout the country. Each of these agencies has a network of affiliate offices equipped to provide resettlement services to arriving refugees. For more information on PRM, please visit: http://www.state.gov/g/prm/
Q. Is HHS ready to serve incoming Iraqi refugees?
- ORR is well positioned to meet the needs of any future influxes of Iraqi refugees, including large-scale emergency resettlements. ORR and the refugee resettlement infrastructure it supports are capable of handling a sudden, high-volume influx of refugees from Iraq, subject to the availability of ORR funding for domestic resettlement benefits and services.
Iraqis are not a new population to ORR’s refugee resettlement program. ORR and its resettlement partners have been resettling refugees from Iraq for many years. The national resettlement network has developed the knowledge and expertise to effectively resettle Iraqis in the U.S.
Q. Will special services be needed for Iraqi refugees?
- New Iraqi refugees are coming from a region of intense conflict and war. Many of these refugees may have experienced various forms of violence, including torture and rape, the loss of loved ones, and other traumatic events (e.g., living for years under a brutal dictatorship). As with other refugee populations, ORR expects that some newly arriving Iraqi refugees may require various forms of specialized assistance or services to help with traumatic-stress related problems and conditions. Through discretionary initiatives, technical assistance and consultation, information sharing, and referrals, ORR will work to assure that Iraqi refugees have access to needed assistance and services.
Q: How many Iraqi refugees have resettled in the United States throughout the years?Other HHS agencies, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office of Global Health Affairs (OGHA), regularly work with ORR to provide focused technical assistance and consultation to resettlement staff, health and mental health providers, and social service providers. In partnership with these Federal refugee technical assistance providers, ORR continues to gather and assess all available information about newly arriving Iraqi refugees.
In addition, the ORR Services for Survivors of Torture Program’s technical assistance providers will offer specialized resources and trainings to prepare resettlement agencies and torture treatment centers to identify, serve, and assist Iraqi refugees who have suffered torture.
- Between 1990 and 2006, approximately 33,000 Iraqi refugees resettled in the U.S., the largest resettlements being in:
- Michigan (6,543 refugees or 20 percent of total), with heavy representation in Detroit (1,393) and Dearborn (1,004).
- California (4,252 refugees or 13 percent of total), with heavy representation in El Cajon (1,270) and San Diego (589).
- Texas (2,679 refugees or 8 percent of total), with heavy representation in Dallas (1,274) and Houston (437).
Q. ORR provides benefits for refugees’ first eight months in the U.S. Is this enough time for Iraqi refugees to become self-sufficient?
- The eight-month eligibility for ORR cash and medical assistance benefits is the same for all refugee populations. Since employment services are deemed a priority in helping refugees achieve self-sufficiency, ORR provides access to employability and support services for refugees for up to 60 months after their arrival in the U.S. Such services include English language instruction, vocational training, and interpreter services.
Q. What type of employment opportunities exist for Iraqi refugees?
- Like all refugees seeking employment, Iraqi refugees will receive help finding job opportunities related to their resettlement site. The U.S. labor market is strong and its unemployment rate is near an all-time low. Many Iraqi refugees have professional backgrounds and good work experience; U.S. resettlement agencies and job developers will help Iraqi refugees find work consistent with their backgrounds.
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