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Refugee resettlement trends in America

Refugee resettlement trends in America

Refugee Resettlement Trends in America: A Comprehensive Analysis

Introduction:

Refugee resettlement has become an increasingly important issue in the United States over the last few decades. The United States resettles more refugees annually than any other country in the world. Every year, tens of thousands of refugees arrive in the US seeking protection from persecution, violence, and war in their home countries. This article seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of refugee resettlement trends in America.

Refugee Resettlement Programs in the US:

The US government has several programs in place to support refugees who have been resettled in the country. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is responsible for providing refugees with various services such as housing, food, medical care, and employment assistance.

The Refugee Admissions Program (RAP) is the primary resettlement program for refugees in the US. The program is managed by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) within the US Department of State. The program is a collaborative effort between the US government and several partner agencies and NGOs that provide support services to refugees.

The US also has several other refugee resettlement programs in place, including the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for Iraqi and Afghan interpreters and other employees who worked with the US military, the Cuban and Haitian entrant program, and the Victims of Trafficking (T Visas) program.

US Refugee Admissions:

In recent years, the number of refugees being admitted to the US has fluctuated. In fiscal year (FY) 2016, the US admitted 84,994 refugees. However, in FY 2017, the number of admissions was reduced to 53,716, and in FY 2018, it was further lowered to 22,491.

In FY 2019, the Trump administration implemented a new refugee policy that further reduced the number of admissions to just 18,000. This was the lowest ceiling since the refugee resettlement program was established.

However, the Biden administration has since increased the refugee admissions ceiling to 62,500 in FY 2021 and intends to raise it to 125,000 in FY 2022.

African Refugee Resettlement:

African refugees make up a significant portion of those resettled in the US. In FY 2016, over 31,000 African refugees were admitted, making up 36% of all refugee admissions. Additionally, in the past decade, Africa has consistently been the region of origin with the largest number of refugees resettled in the US.

The top countries of origin for African refugees resettled in the US are DR Congo (18%), Somalia (15%), and Sudan (12%). In recent years, however, Somalia has emerged as the top country of origin for African refugees admitted to the US.

Middle Eastern Refugee Resettlement:

Refugees from the Middle East have also been resettled in significant numbers in the US. In FY 2016, the US admitted just over 25,000 refugees from the Middle East, making up 29% of all admissions. The top countries of origin for Middle Eastern refugees are Syria, Iraq, and Iran.

In recent years, the US government has implemented policies to restrict the admission of refugees from certain Middle Eastern countries. In January 2017, President Trump issued an executive order that suspended the admission of refugees from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 120 days. The order was eventually blocked by the courts, and the administration revised the order to exclude Iraq and remove the indefinite suspension of Syrian refugees.

As of FY 2020, only 3,276 Syrian refugees were admitted to the US, with Iraq being the top country of origin for Middle Eastern refugees.

Refugee Employment and Self-Sufficiency:

One of the primary goals of refugee resettlement programs is to help refugees become self-sufficient and integrate into American society. Employment is a critical factor in achieving this goal.

The ORR engages in various initiatives to help refugees gain employment. The ORR supports programs that provide job training, English language instruction, and professional development services to refugees. Additionally, the ORR provides funding to states to help them develop employment services for refugees.

In recent years, the labor market has been tight, making it difficult for refugees to find employment. In FY 2019, the overall workforce participation rate for refugees was 58.6%, with only 75.5% of those employed earning wages above the poverty level.

Conclusion:

Refugee resettlement trends in America have been influenced by various government policies and initiatives. African and Middle Eastern refugees have been resettled in significant numbers in recent years. While refugee employment and self-sufficiency have been a primary goal of resettlement programs, challenges remain in helping refugees achieve economic and social integration in the US. As the political climate evolves, it is likely that refugee policies and admissions will continue to be a highly debated issue in the US.


The history of the development of the United States of America, in terms of population, tends to dictate that future trends for displaced persons’ resettlement, refugeeimmigrationillegal immigrantsMembers of the American refugee program population have done just that.

The figures are, consequently, not terribly surprising when it comes to resettlement. Refugee populations are highest in two major cities in the United States: New York and Los Angeles, and all other ranked municipalities are metropolitan areas of some significance.

In rounding out the top ten, however, some cities that are not as immediately prominent have made the list. Seattle, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Sacramento are among those cities with comparatively low ranks of foreign-born permanent residents. Other manifestations of the American refugee program are also quite significant, although they also make a lot of sense giving not only geography, but human nature as well.

As identified by the UNHCR, one of the most durable forms of relocating people as part of refugee program services is permanent resettlement. Refugee groups, in accord with this principle, have not only existed in some cities, but flourished, at that. Key examples of this include the heavy numbers of Cuban refugees in Miami and other parts of Florida and high rates of resettlement of Iranian refugees in Californian cities.