Since I started my new position at Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services on Monday, it has become very clear to me that Americans know little to nothing about the refugee or asylee population that lives with us. Following the mustache post with this rather more sobering one feels uneven but important to what I’m doing with my life right now, so I’ve decided to post some
FUN REFUGEE FACTS (that are not so fun)
The difference between an asylee and a refugee:
Both of these individuals meet the same definition/requirements: an individual who, “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail him/herself of the protection of that country” (1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees). However, a refugee is given refugee status while NOT in the US, and an asylee is granted asylee status while already IN the US.
The (or a) difference between a refugee and an immigrant:
An immigrant has chosen to come to the US, is seeking status as a Lawfully Permanent Resident, and must prove that they will not use government services such as welfare but instead will be a contributing member to their community. A refugee is given multiple services and is not expected to prove their self-sufficiency in the same way.
After a year refugees have to return to the Department of Homeland security for “inspection and examination for admission,” which generally means that they either file for a green card (status as a Lawfully Permanent Resident or LPR), are detained by the government for various reasons, or can be sent home if political conditions there have changed in a way to alter their status as a refugee.
Three kinds of refugees:
Priority 1–
Status is determined on an individual case basis; personal life experiences meet the definition of refugee.
Priority 2–
Status is determined by belonging to an ethnic group that is determined by the Department of State to fit, as a group, the definition of refugee status. Each year this list is changed; examples for 2008 include the Sudanese in Iraq or the Bhutanese in Nepal.
Priority 3–
Refugees who are spouses, unmarried children under 21, or parents of individuals already lawfully admitted to the United States as refugees or asylees.
This year the ceiling (as in limit, not quota) on refugees admitted the US is 70,000. The number actually expected is 52,000. The world refugee population for 2008 is 11.4 million.
Hope that cheered everyone up.