wfn.org | CWS - Continue refugee resettlement; reform program agencies say

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> For Immediate Release

Continue refugee resettlement; reform program agencies say

A joint statement from Church World Service, Episcopal Migration
Ministries and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

NEW YORK, April 9, 2009--Since it was established under the Refugee Act
of 1980, the U.S. refugee program has been and remains one of our
governmentâ??s best endeavors.  In partnership with community-based
social service organizations and countless volunteers, it has saved the
lives of millions of people fleeing persecution and war, extending
protection to people whose only chance to live in safety is resettlement
to the United States.  These former refugees now are enriching our
nation culturally and economically.

March 23-27, 2009, in Detroit, Mich., 350 people who are on the front
lines of welcoming refugees to the United States met for professional
development and to improve their service provision to refugees and their
communities.  They are among staff of local affiliate agencies of Church
World Service, Episcopal Migration Ministries, and Lutheran Immigration
and Refugee Service, among U.S. voluntary agencies responsible for
helping refugees integrate into their new communities and become
self-sufficient quickly.  They engage hundreds of local congregations in
providing financial, in-kind, logistical and social support.

They met in the context of the worst economic recession in
decades--just as U.S. refugee program admissions return at last to
pre-9/11 levels.  The recession is making it harder for refugee
newcomers to find jobs within 180 days of arrival as the program
prescribes.  Meeting participants affirmed their determination and
fundamental optimism that their clients will achieve
self-sufficiency--it will just take a little longer.  They reported that
their cities remain welcoming communities for refugees, and strongly
rejected suggestions that the U.S. refugee program cut back on
admissions until the economy improves.  For their part, they are putting
in more hours than ever seeking more private resources to keep their
refugee clients housed and fed while they assist them in the prolonged
job search.  They agreed that the U.S. refugee program which has not
changed fundamentally in 30 years--is badly in need of reform.
Specifically, the three agencies join together to urge:

Reform of the domestic side of the refugee resettlement program that
includes increased federal funding, more flexibility to administer the
program in such a way as to meet refugeesâ?? different individual  needs,
and a renewed emphasis on the vital role of community engagement,
including congregational co-sponsorship.

The â??public-private partnershipâ?? is the genius of the U.S.  refugee
program, but it has fallen out of balance so that the private sector is
bearing most of the cost.  The governmentâ??s one-time,
â??one-size-fits-allâ?? per capita grant of $450 per refugee  plus
eight months (once 36 months) of minimal monthly cash assistance, food
stamps and Medicaid reflects neither what resettlement actually costs
nor the importance the U.S. refugee program holds in U.S. foreign
policy.

â??	An increase in â??Matching Grantâ?? slots.  The  Matching Grant
program provides resources and incentives for refugees to achieve early
employment, but it is not available to all clients who could benefit and
thus more fully contribute to their communities and the U.S. economy.

â??	Greater support for specialized assistance to refugees with
mental health problems, which are common among survivors of persecution
and war, including treatment for problems with PTSD and torture trauma.

â??	Reforms that will allow refugee families to reunify more
quickly.  Today, families are separated for far too long--even leaving
children behind to fend for themselves in refugee camps and urban
settlements until their parentsâ?? petitions for
them can be processed.

â??	The creation of mechanisms for responding quickly to situations
of secondary migration when refugees who have been resettled in one city
migrate to accept jobs in communities in which the services they still
need as recent arrivals to the United States are not provided.

The private sector will continue to bring its passion, creativity,
efforts, and voice to the work of refugee resettlement.  It is the
responsibility of the federal government to provide the resources
necessary to ensure that refugees are able to achieve long-term
self-sufficiency and fully realize the freedom and safety our nation has
promised them.

Media Contacts:

Lesley Crosson, 212-870-2676, media@churchworldservice.org
Jan Dragin, 24/7, 781-925-1526, jdragin@gis.net