Return to:
Index of "Population, Refugees and Migration" ||
Electronic Research Collections Index ||
ERC Homepage
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
SEPT. 1994: FY 1995 PROPOSED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
BUREAU OF POPULATION, MIGRATION AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS
REPORT TO THE CONGRESS
ON
PROPOSED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995
SUBMITTED WITH THE WORLD REFUGEE REPORT
ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO THE COMMITTEES ON THE JUDICIARY,
UNITED STATES SENATE AND
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF
SECTION 207 (E) (1)-(7)
OF THE
IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT
The Department of State
The Department of Justice
and
The Department of Health and Human Services
September 1994
THE REPORT TO THE CONGRESS ON PROPOSED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS AND
ALLOCATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR (FY) 1995 is submitted in compliance
with Section 207(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The
Act requires that before the start of the fiscal year and, to the extent
possible, at least two weeks prior to Consultations on refugee
admissions, members of the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and
the House of Representatives be provided with the following information:
(l) A description of the nature of the refugee situation;
(2) A description of the number and allocation of the refugees to
be admitted and an analysis of conditions within the countries from
which they came;
(3) A description of the proposed plans for their movement and
resettlement and the estimated cost of their movement and resettlement;
(4) An analysis of the anticipated social, economic, and
demographic impact of their admission to the United States;
(5) A description of the extent to which other countries will
admit and assist in the resettlement of such refugees;
(6) An analysis of the impact of the participation of the United
States in the resettlement of such refugees on the foreign policy
interests of the United States; and
(7) Such additional information as may be appropriate or
requested by such members.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD PAGE
I. PROPOSED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM FOR FY 1995
A. OVERVIEW OF U.S. REFUGEE POLICY 1
B. RESETTLEMENT NEEDS IN FY 1995
1. Africa 5
2. East Asia 7
3. Latin America and the Caribbean 9
4. Near East 12
5. Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe 14
6. Unallocated Reserve 15
7. Private Sector Initiative (PSI) 15
II. PROPOSED PLANS FOR MOVEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT
A. ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES
1. Eligibility Criteria 16
2. Processing Posts 16
3. The Worldwide Priorities System 18
4. INS Refugee Processing 21
B.THE RESETTLEMENT PROCESS
1. Voluntary Agency Processing 24
2. Overseas Language Training and Cultural
Orientation 24
3. Health Services 24
4. Initial Reception and Placement-Data Center 25
5. Transportation 26
6. Ongoing Domestic Resettlement Program 26
III. DOMESTIC IMPACT OF REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
A. DEMOGRAPHIC IMPACT 28
B. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION 29
C. SECONDARY MIGRATION 34
D. ECONOMIC IMPACT 34
IV. ESTIMATED COSTS OF REFUGEE PROCESSING,
MOVEMENT RESETTLEMENT 35
LIST OF TABLES PAGE
I. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS IN FY 1993 AND FY 1994 3
II. PROPOSAL FOR U.S. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS IN FY 1995 4
III. REFUGEES AND AMERASIANS: 30
NEW ARRIVALS IN TEN LEADING STATES IN
FY 1992 AND FY 1993
IV. REFUGEES, ENTRANTS, AND AMERASIANS 31
ARRIVALS FROM ALL COUNTRIES BY STATE, FY 1993
V. INDOCHINESE REFUGEES 32
CUMULATIVE ARRIVALS BY STATE OF INITIAL RESETTLEMENT
FY 1975 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 1993
VI. NON-INDOCHINESE REFUGEES 33
CUMULATIVE ARRIVALS BY STATE OF INITIAL RESETTLEMENT
SEPTEMBER 30, 1993
VII. ESTIMATED COSTS OF REFUGEE PROCESSING, MOVEMENT 36
AND RESETTLEMENT, FY 1995 ESTIMATE
FOREWORD
The annual Congressional consultations on refugee admissions provide an
opportunity for the Congress and the Administration to focus on the
domestic and international implications of the U.S. refugee policy, and
mark the culmination of a many-faceted consultative process for FY 1995.
Administration officials had periodic discussions with Members and staff
of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees and other interested Congressional
committees. Interagency meetings which included representatives from
the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration,
the Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service, the
Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Refugee Resettlement,
the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Security Council
were convened regularly. In addition, consultations were held with
representatives of state and local governments, public interest groups,
private voluntary organizations, mutual assistance associations, and
other organizations concerned with refugees.
The Administration is committed to strengthening and implementing the
U.S. refugee admissions and assistance policy consistent with domestic
and international concerns within a humanitarian framework. The task of
balancing these concerns has become increasingly difficult because of
growing numbers of refugees, displaced persons, and victims of
conflicts, and constrained budgets. Nevertheless, we continue to admit
significant numbers to our country as refugees. At the same time, we
contribute to life-saving assistance programs which have an impact on
millions of refugees, displaced persons, and victims of conflict who are
not eligible for the admissions program.
This document presents the President's admissions proposals for FY 1995.
It is intended to initiate the Congressional consultations process set
out in Section 207 of the Refugee Act of 1980 and to elicit responses
from the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and others interested in
refugee policies and programs. After receiving the views of the
Congress, the President will determine refugee admissions levels and
allocations for FY 1995.
I. PROPOSED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM FOR FY 1995
A. OVERVIEW OF U.S. REFUGEE POLICY
In the resolution of refugee problems, the United States gives highest
priority to the safe, voluntary return of refugees to their homelands.
This policy, embodied in the Refugee Act of 1980, is also the first
priority for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
If safe, voluntary repatriation is not feasible, settlement in countries
of asylum within the region is sought as the next preferred alternative.
Often, however, political differences, lack of economic resources to
support large numbers of additional people, or ethnic, religious or
other deep-rooted animosities prevent this option from being exercised.
Finally, consideration is given to resettlement in third countries,
including the United States.
The United States considers for admission persons of special
humanitarian concern who can establish persecution or a well-founded
fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality,
membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The legal
basis of the refugee admissions program is the Refugee Act of 1980 which
embodies the American tradition of granting refuge to diverse groups
suffering or fearing persecution. The Act adopted, for the purpose of
our refugee admissions program, the definition of "refugee" contained in
the United Nations Convention and Protocol relating to the Status of
Refugees. The definition, which may be found in Section 101 (a) (42) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Refugee
Act, is as follows:
"The term "refugee" means: (A) any person who is outside any country of
such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having no
nationality, is outside any country in which such person last habitually
resided, and who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or
unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of, that country
because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account
of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group,
or political opinion, or (B) in such circumstances as the President
after appropriate consultation (as defined in section 207 (e) of this
Act) may specify, any person who is within the country of such person's
nationality or, in the case of a person having no nationality, within
the country in which such person is habitually residing, and who is
persecuted or who has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of
race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or
political opinion. The term "refugee" does not include any person who
ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution
of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a
particular social group, or political opinion."
The estimated world population of refugees and externally displaced
persons is over 19 million; persons displaced within their own countries
by war, famine and civil unrest may exceed that number. The United
States works with other governments and international and private
organizations to protect refugees, displaced persons, and conflict
victims and strives to ensure that survival needs for food, health care
and shelter are met. Under the authority contained in the Migration and
Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, the United States
contributes to the international activities of the UNHCR, the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international
and private organizations which provide ongoing relief and assistance
for refugees, displaced persons, and conflict victims. The United
States has been instrumental in mobilizing a community of nations to
work through these and other organizations in alleviating the misery and
suffering of refugees throughout the world.
The United States, aware that more than 80 percent of the world's
refugees are women and young children, recognizes the special needs of
these vulnerable groups, particularly in the areas of protection and
assistance. The United States supports the UNHCR and other relevant
international, governmental and non-governmental organizations in their
efforts to involve refugee women in implementing programs on their own
behalf, and also supports the assigning of women officers to positions
where they can have a positive impact on the protection and well-being
of women and children refugees.
We continue to press for the most effective use of international
resources directed to the urgent needs of refugees and displaced
persons. During FY 1994, the United States has supported major relief
programs in Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the
Near East. Contributions for these funds were made through
organizations including the UNHCR, the United Nations World Food Program
(WFP), the ICRC, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA). This support averted further human tragedy and
helped sustain life by providing food and other assistance to meet the
basic human needs of refugees, displaced persons, and conflict victims.
Details are provided in the World Refugee Report.
With regard to refugees resettled in the United States, the U.S.
Government aims to promote economic self-sufficiency as quickly as
possible, limiting the need for public assistance and encouraging
refugees to contribute to the diversity and enrichment of our country as
previous newcomers have done. To this end, short-term English language
and cultural orientation programs for certain groups of refugees have
been established overseas to initiate the process of adapting to our
complex society. Particular attention is paid to the health of refugees
to ensure that communicable diseases are controlled before entry into
the United States. Federally-funded programs administered by the States
have provided cash and medical assistance, training programs, employment
and other support services to many refugees soon after arrival in the
United States. A variety of institutional providers have performed
these services, including private voluntary agencies who also perform
initial reception and placement services under cooperative agreements
with the Department of State. All of these benefits are intended for
short-term utilization during a refugee's transition to an independent,
contributing member of the national economy and of American society.
TABLE I
REFUGEE ADMISSIONS IN FY 1993 AND FY 1994
FY 1994 Projected
FY 1993 FY 1994 Arrivals FY 1994
Region Actual Ceiling Thru 7/94 Arrivals
Africa 6,969 7,000 4,566 6,000
East Asia 49,858 45,000 33,558 42,000
Eastern Europe* 2,651
Latin America/ 4,126 9,000** 4,688 8,000
Caribbean
Near East 7,000 6,000 3,903 6,000
Former Soviet
Union* 48,627
Former Soviet Union/ 53,000** 40,073 48,000
Eastern Europe*
Unallocated Reserve **
PSI 251 1,000 -0- -0-
TOTALS 119,482 121,000 86,788 110,000
* Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe ceilings were combined in FY-
94.
** Reallocations: 3,000 admissions numbers initially assigned to the
Unallocated Reserve were reallocated during the year to the Latin
America/Caribbean ceiling. An initial allocation of 55,000 numbers to
the Former Soviet Union/Eastern Europe ceiling was reduced by 2,000 to
53,000, with the 2,000 numbers reallocated to the Latin
America/Caribbean ceiling. The initial 4,000 numbers allocated to the
Latin America/Caribbean ceiling were thus augmented by an additional
5,000 to accommodate a surge in Haitian admissions during the year.
________
The President proposes to respond to the humanitarian needs of refugees
by establishing for FY-1995 an admissions ceiling of 112,000 refugees
for permanent resettlement in the United States. Proposed allocations
within this ceiling are shown in Table II below:
TABLE II
PROPOSAL FOR U.S. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS IN FY 1995
PROPOSED
AREA OF ORIGIN CEILING
Africa 7,000
East Asia 40,000*
Former Soviet Union/Eastern Europe 48,000
Latin America and the Caribbean 8,000
Near East 5,000
Unallocated Reserve 2,000
SUB-TOTAL, FUNDED ADMISSIONS 110,000
Private Sector Initiative 2,000
TOTAL 112,000
* This figure includes Amerasians and their family members who enter as
immigrants under a special statutory provision but receive the same
benefits as refugees.
______
The President also proposes to specify that special circumstances exist
so that, for the purpose of admission under the limits established above
and pursuant to section 101(a)(42)(B) of the INA, certain persons, if
they otherwise qualify for admission, may be considered as refugees of
special humanitarian concern to the United States even though they are
still within their countries of nationality or habitual residence. The
proposed designations for FY 1995 are persons in Cuba, Haiti, Vietnam
and the former Soviet Union.
In addition to the proposed admission of refugees from abroad, the
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will be authorized to
adjust to the status of permanent resident alien 10,000 persons who have
been granted asylum in the United States and have been in the United
States for at least one year, pursuant to Section 209 (b) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act. In the regional descriptions which
follow, an overview of refugee-generating conditions is provided. In
addition, voluntary repatriation, resettlement within the region, and
third-country resettlement opportunities are mentioned. There is also
reference to refugee resettlement by countries other than the United
States. More detailed information and statistics on these subjects are
found in the companion World Refugee Report.
B. RESETTLEMENT NEEDS IN FY 1995
1. AFRICA
With some six million refugees, sub-Saharan Africa hosts about a third
of the world's refugees. Moreover, the greatest percentage of the
world's internally displaced population is in sub-Saharan Africa. Only
the island nations of the continent remain essentially untouched by
refugee flows. Moreover, a sort of de facto reciprocity in offering
refuge -- Sierra Leonean refugees in Liberia and Liberian refugees in
Sierra Leone, Ethiopian refugees in Sudan and Sudanese refugees in
Ethiopia -- continues to confuse many observers.
The year 1993 began and ended with new refugee movements. Communal
tensions in Togo, exacerbated by the delays in the anticipated
democratization there, resulted in the unexpected flight of some 200,000
or more Togolese to Ghana and Benin in January 1993. In Burundi and
Rwanda, the deaths of their presidents (in an April 1994 plane crash,
preceded the previous October by the assassination of the former
Burundian president) precipitated ethnic massacres in Rwanda in which
over half a million people were killed and another one to two million
became refugees or internally displaced persons. Warfare in 1993 in
Angola, Sierra Leone, and Sudan continued to uproot civilians and to
push many into neighboring countries as refugees. Ethnic clashes in
Chad, Kenya, and Zaire caused added displacement while communal violence
in such disparate places as Cote d'Ivoire and South Africa gave rise to
fears of future refugee flows.
Voluntary Repatriation
A continued respite from war in Mozambique throughout 1993 allowed for
the repatriation of as many as 400,000 Mozambican refugees, although
over a million Mozambicans still remain in asylum in neighboring
countries. Before the October 1993 coup attempt in Burundi, a number of
refugees who had fled earlier ethnic strife there had already begun
returning; the April 1994 ethnic massacres in Rwanda pushed almost all
Burundians home. Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees in Sudan began to
return home in small numbers, presaging an end to the current refugee
problem in the Sudan. South African refugee return was finally
completed. While the imposition of a modicum of security throughout
Somalia by the United Nations peacemaking operation (UNOSOM) during most
of 1993 led some 50,000 Somali refugees to return home, renewed armed
clashes near the end of the year halted most organized repatriation. In
1995, UNHCR is expected to continue implementation of repatriation
programs for some of the largest and most enduring of Africa's refugee
situations, such as Mozambicans and Eritreans. Should peace talks prove
fruitful, Angolans, Liberians, Sierra Leoneans, and Somalis could be
added.
Resettlement within the Region
The extraordinary tolerance of most African nations towards long-term
refugees continues to be coupled with (1) an expectation that most
refugees will eventually return home, and (2) a widespread lack of
interest in providing durable solutions to refugee situations through
the granting of citizenship and permanent resettlement.
Third-Country Resettlement
Continuing ethnic tension, human rights abuses, competition for
resources, environmental degradation, political change, religious
proselytizing, and easy availability of modern weaponry can be expected
to generate substantial numbers of additional refugees for the
foreseeable future. Nonetheless, third-country resettlement is expected
to remain a distant third in terms of appropriate durable solutions for
refugees in Africa. Political dissidents who are unwelcome in
prospective asylum countries, urbanized refugees who seek to remain in
urban areas rather than assimilate into rural settlements as most
governments prefer or require, and refugees such as those belonging to
clan groups associated with deposed government leaders for whom
voluntary repatriation and local integration appear to be nearly
impossible, are representative of those who will need third-country
resettlement during FY 1995. UNHCR's Assessment of Global Resettlement
Needs for Refugees in 1994 estimates the total number of such African
refugees to be 10,550.
U.S. Admissions
FY 1994. In FY 1994 the U.S. will admit as refugees an estimated 6,000
Africans, including about 3,600 Somalis, 1,300 Sudanese, 600 Liberians,
and 500 Zairians, Ethiopians and others. Most processing is being done
in Kenya with the remaining admissions coming from other refugee
processing posts in Africa and Europe.
Proposed FY 1995 Ceiling. The proposed ceiling for Africa for FY 1995
is 7,000, mainly for Somalis but also possibly including significant
numbers of Sudanese and Rwandans. As in FY 1994, most admissions will
come via refugee processing sites in Kenya. The U.S. Embassy in
Nairobi, assisted by a Joint Voluntary Agency (JVA) staffed by a private
voluntary agency under a cooperative agreement with the State
Department, will also process the cases of UNHCR-referred and vulnerable
cases of non-designated nationalities. The JVA is staffed to provide
assistance to UNHCR at non-processing posts in the region, such as for
Somalis in the Horn of Africa who cannot repatriate, Rwandans in East
Africa, and UNHCR-referred Liberians in West Africa.
Proposed designated nationalities and processing priorities for FY 1995
are: Liberians in Priority One only; Somalis, Sudanese and Zairians in
Priorities One through Three; and Rwandans in Priorities One through
Four. In addition, at non-African posts only those African applicants
who arrived in their country of asylum prior to July 1, 1988 can be
considered without prior authorization from Washington.
In light of the volatile political and ethnic circumstances in many
African countries, refugee processing posts in Africa are authorized to
process, without prior authorization from Washington, applications by
nationals of any African country referred to the U.S. program by UNHCR.
2. EAST ASIA
First Asylum
There are over 80,000 Indochinese asylum-seekers in first asylum camps
in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, including almost 60,000 Vietnamese and
about 20,000 Lao (mostly Hmong). Thailand also hosts over 70,000
Burmese ethnic minorities and students in encampments along its border
with Burma, as well as about 2,400 Burmese student/dissidents in the
Bangkok area who are recognized by UNHCR as "persons of concern."
Vietnamese and Lao asylum seekers are considered under the provisions of
the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) adopted by over 50 nations at the
International Conference on Indochinese Refugees (ICIR) in Geneva in
June 1989. The CPA affirms both the guarantee of first asylum by
signatory nations and international commitments to onward third-country
resettlement for persons determined to be genuine refugees. The CPA
calls for the expansion of legal emigration and institutes a screening
program to identify bona fide Vietnamese and Lao refugees. With the
exception of Malaysia and Singapore, the right of boat people to arrive
on shore and seek asylum is recognized by the Southeast Asian nations
and Hong Kong.
In Thailand, the 370,000 displaced Khmer previously encamped along the
Thai-Cambodian border were all repatriated to the interior of Cambodia
in a UNHCR-orchestrated operation completed in March 1993. Only about
forty Khmer remain in a refugee processing center in Thailand awaiting
final processing for United States immigrant visas or parole. In
addition, there are 464 "boat" Khmer in a camp in Indonesia. However,
as Cambodia is not part of the CPA, and repatriation to Cambodia in
safety and dignity is now possible, resettlement countries do not seek
access to Cambodians who arrive illegally by boat in Indonesia or
Malaysia.
Voluntary Repatriation
Under the terms of the CPA, asylum seekers who do not have valid refugee
claims are not considered for third-country resettlement. Instead, they
are encouraged to return voluntarily to Vietnam under a UNHCR program.
As of July 31, 1994, more than 64,000 Vietnamese asylum-seekers had
voluntarily returned to Vietnam from first asylum camps in Southeast
Asia and Hong Kong. Voluntary returnees are monitored by the UNHCR in
Vietnam, and no evidence of persecution of any of these repatriates has
ever been documented.
Since September 1980, a UNHCR voluntary repatriation program has existed
to facilitate the return of ethnic Lao, Hmong, and other highlanders to
Laos from Thailand. More than 16,000 persons have returned since the
inception of the program, with 1,700 repatriating so far in FY 1994.
There are several reception centers for returnees in Laos, and UNHCR
monitors the returnees to ensure their safety.
Resettlement in the Region
In East Asia, willingness to settle Indochinese refugees or even to
grant temporary asylum is constrained by security and economic concerns,
as well as cultural, religious, and political sensitivities. At the
ICIR, the ASEAN states made it clear that they expect all Vietnamese
asylum seekers either to be resettled in third countries outside the
region or to return to Vietnam.
Third-Country Resettlement
Under the CPA, resettlement countries agreed to resettle, over a three-
year period, all Vietnamese asylum seekers who arrived in countries of
first asylum prior to a cutoff date (March 1989 for Southeast Asia and
June 1988 for Hong Kong). Over 99 percent of these roughly 50,000 pre-
cutoff date refugees already have been resettled or have been approved
for resettlement. The United States also agreed to resettle up to 50
percent of the "screened-in cases" in the region and has been processing
these cases. Unaccompanied minors in the post-cutoff date population
are being reviewed by special committees in each first asylum country
which determine what is in the best interest of each child in terms of
resettlement or repatriation.
U.S. Admissions
FY 1994. The FY 1994 ceiling for East Asia is 45,000. It is
anticipated that about 9,500 refugees, including 7,000 Hmong, will be
admitted from first asylum countries in East Asia, and about 32,500
persons, including 3,000 Amerasians, will be admitted through the in-
country Orderly Departure Program (ODP) in Vietnam, for a total of
42,000 admissions. Most of the U.S. caseload of Vietnamese refugees in
the first asylum camps of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong will have been
admitted by the end of FY-94, leaving only a small residual caseload
that should be completed early in FY-95.
Proposed FY 1995 Ceiling. The proposed admissions ceiling for East Asia
for FY 1995 is 40,000. Under this ceiling, the first priority will be
to complete the U.S. commitment to accept first asylum refugees under
the CPA. First asylum admissions needs are expected to be about 8,000,
of which up to 7,000 would be for Hmong from camps in Thailand and the
remaining 1,000 for Vietnamese and Burmese. There will be sufficient
flexibility within the East Asia ceiling to accommodate unexpected
fluctuations in the need for resettlement among these groups.
Orderly Departure Program (ODP)
The estimated refugee admissions need for FY 1995 under ODP is 32,000,
consisting of about 31,000 former reeducation camp detainees plus 1,000
Amerasians, former U.S. Government employees, and former employees of
U.S private organizations in Vietnam, as well as possibly a small number
of U.S.-interest cases repatriated from first-asylum camps in the
region.
Former Reeducation Camp Detainees Program. The United States remains
firmly committed to seeking the release of all political prisoners from
"reeducation centers" in Vietnam and to offering resettlement to
qualified persons who were detained because of their association with
the United States or the former South Vietnamese governments. A
bilateral U.S.-SRV agreement creating a program for the U.S.
resettlement of released detainees was reached in July 1989 and
implemented in October 1989. By the end of FY 1994, almost 110,000
former detainees and members of their families will have been admitted
under the program. As noted above, it is anticipated that up to 31,000
former detainees and their family members will be admitted during FY
1995.
Amerasian Program. The Amerasian immigrant program is an integral part
of the ODP, under which the U.S. admits Amerasians in Vietnam along with
members of their immediate families or foster families. Under
legislation passed in December 1987 designating a special class of
Amerasian immigrant, Amerasian applicants are considered under a
separate bilateral program with procedures similar to that of the
regular ODP. To date, about 77,000 Amerasians and accompanying family
members have been admitted. ODP admissions in FY 1994 will include as
many as 3,000 Amerasian immigrants and accompanying family members, who
are admitted as immigrants but are included in the refugee admissions
ceiling for consistency with the budgetary process. Large-scale
processing of the Amerasian caseload was completed in 1993, although
direct registration and processing of limited numbers of qualified
applicants will continue for the foreseeable future.
Designated Nationalities. In FY 1995, Vietnamese, Lao, and Burmese will
remain designated nationalities of concern to the United States. Under
the CPA, Vietnamese in first asylum countries who are screened in will
be processed in Priorities One through Four. Hmong highlanders from
Laos will be considered as a Priority One group of special concern,
while Lao lowlanders cases will be considered as Priority One cases only
if referred to the U.S. by UNHCR. In addition, the United States will
consider certain qualified Burmese students/dissidents in Priority One
who are referred by UNHCR, arrived in Thailand between March 15, 1988
and May 1, 1992, and have a well-founded fear of persecution due to pro-
democracy activities in Burma. Consideration of applications for
refugee admission by members of these nationalities is authorized
without referral of specific cases to Washington. On a case-by-case
basis, persons belonging to other nationalities, such as Chinese, will
continue to be considered with prior authorization from the Department
of State and INS headquarters in Washington.
3. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Voluntary Repatriation
Continued democratic development and regional peace efforts have
virtually ended the flight of persons from Central American countries
and encouraged voluntary repatriations of refugees, particularly
Guatemalans in Mexico. It is expected that between 5,000 - 10,000
Guatemalans will return from Mexico in 1994.
Resettlement in the Region
Most host governments do not encourage permanent refugee resettlement,
largely because of their own depressed economic situations. Ethnic and
national rivalries also make local resettlement difficult. However,
various CentralAmerican governments, as well as the Mexican government,
have demonstrated the tolerance necessary to make first asylum
protection work. The region has been moving away from the housing of
refugees in camps towards efforts at local integration with greater
self-sufficiency on the part of refugees.
U.S. Admissions
FY 1994. For FY 1994, the admissions ceiling for Latin America and the
Caribbean was set at 4,000. As of August 30, 2,562 Cubans and 2,404
Haitians had been admitted to the U.S., for a total of 4,966 persons.
It is projected that close to 3,000 Cubans and as many as 5,000
Haitians, for a total of 8,000 persons, conceivably could be admitted
under this ceiling during FY 1994. 5,000 additional admissions numbers
have been reallocated from the Unallocated Reserve (3,000) and the
Former Soviet Union/Eastern Europe (2,000) ceilings to the Latin
America/Caribbean ceiling, raising that ceiling from 4,000 to 9,000
numbers, in order to accommodate increased potential Haitian admissions.
Proposed FY 1995 Ceiling. For FY 1995 the admissions ceiling proposed
for Latin America and the Caribbean is 8,000 persons, reflecting the
increased numbers of Haitian refugees accepted in FY 1994 over FY 1993
and anticipation of a continuation of this trend at least for the short-
term. These FY 1995 admissions numbers will be available for in-country
processing of Cubans and Haitians. In the event additional numbers are
needed, they can be transferred from the Unallocated Reserve for this
purpose following consultation with the Congress.
Designated Nationalities. In FY 1994, Cubans and Haitians were
designated nationalities and authorized in-country processing in old
Priority One. In FY 1995, Cubans and Haitians will continue to be
designated nationalities and authorized for in-country processing.
Haitian Admissions. The in-country refugee processing program in Haiti
was established in February 1992 and has undergone periodic revisions
over the past two years in order to reach those persons most in need of
resettlement in the U.S. In May 1992, the in-country program was
expanded to accommodate any Haitian wishing to make a refugee claim. At
that time, a categories system was designed to prioritize the processing
of individual cases. In January 1993, an inter-agency technical team
reviewed the program to determine ways to expand access to the program
and expedite departures of those in urgent need. As a result, the
processing capacity of INS was doubled, processing was streamlined,
provincial processing sites were opened in Les Cayes and Cap Haitien
provinces, and contact with non-governmental organizations and human
rights groups was expanded. Also, refugee questionnaires were placed on
U.S. Coast Guard cutters engaged in interdiction operations so that
repatriated boat people would be made aware of the U.S. program and
those with strong refugee claims could be brought quickly into the
refugee processing program.
Another technical team visited Haiti in January 1994 to review the
program with an eye towards identifying more effectively those persons
in the greatest need of protection. This review resulted in an increase
in the involvement of organizations familiar with the human rights
situation in Haiti and an adjustment in the program's eligibility
criteria. Haitians in the new processing Priority One are eligible for
processing under the program, including (1) senior and mid-level
Aristide government officials; (2) close Aristide associates; (3)
journalists and educational activists who have experienced significant
and persistent harassment by the de facto authorities, or who have a
credible fear because of their activities; (4) high-profile members of
political, development, or social organizations who have experienced
significant and persistent harassment by the de facto authorities, or
who have a credible fear because of their activities; (5) others of
compelling concern to the U.S. and in immediate danger because of their
actual or perceived political beliefs or activities; and, (6) others who
appear to have a credible claim that they will face persecution as
defined in the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.
Temporary Protection for Haitian Boat People: Beginning July 5, 1994,
Haitians interdicted at sea have been offered the option of voluntarily
returning to Haiti or applying for temporary protection in safehavens
established under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees. Temporary protection is an accepted international means
of protecting refugees who have had to flee their country. One of the
primary goals in implementing this expanded protection policy has been
to help UNHCR orchestrate a regional response to this regional crisis.
Several countries in the region have agreed to the establishment of
safehaven sites in their countries. Once conditions in Haiti have
improved sufficiently in Haiti, those who have requested and received
temporary protection in a safehaven can return home in safety
Cuban Admissions. In-country refugee processing for Cubans is carried
out in accordance with a bilateral migration agreement between the U.S.
and Cuba. The Cuban admissions program was originally designed for
former long-term political prisoners. However, by 1991 the resettlement
needs of this population had largely been addressed, and eligibility
requirements were expanded. In FY 1994, the admissions program focused
on specific groups identified as being of compelling concern to the
United States. This focus will continue in FY 1995. Cubans in new
Priority One are eligible for processing. They are: (1) former
political prisoners; (2) members of persecuted religious minorities; (3)
human rights activists; (4) forced labor conscripts during the period
1965-1968; (5) persons deprived of their professional credentials or
subjected to other disproportionately harsh or discriminatory treatment
resulting from their perceived or actual political or religious beliefs;
and, (6) others who appear to have a credible claim that they will face
persecution as defined in the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and its
1967 Protocol.
In third countries, Priority One Cuban applicants may be considered for
the U.S. refugee admissions program if they departed Cuba before
November 20, 1987.
4. NEAR EAST
There are nearly 9 million refugees and displaced persons in the
countries of North Africa, the Near East and South Asia, including over
3 million Afghans and nearly 3 million Palestinians. There are also
over 200,000 Burmese in Bangladesh, about 85,000 Bhutanese in Nepal,
80,000 Somalis in Egypt, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, and some
70,000 Tajiks in Afghanistan. Ongoing conflict in Afghanistan during
1993-94 resulted in more Afghans trying to leave that country, and
Iranian Kurdish areas have been in turmoil for more than a decade.
Other sizeable populations (Sahwaris in Algeria, Sri Lankan Tamils in
India, Iraqis in Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Palestinians in the West
Bank, Gaza Strip, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) have remained
fairly stable.
Voluntary Repatriation
Many Iraqi refugees from the Gulf War previously in Turkey, Jordan and
other countries bordering Iraq left countries of first asylum in 1992,
either resettling in third countries or returning to Iraq. Only 2,300
Iraqi Shi'ite civilians and former Iraqi soldiers have repatriated from
Saudi Arabia over the last two years, leaving 23,000 persons in the
refugee camp at Rafha. Unfortunately, the voluntary repatriation of
about one million Afghans in 1992 was not repeated in 1993, as
prospective repatriates were discouraged by fighting between rival
groups in Kabul which continued throughout the year. Under a joint
Indo-Lankan plan, approximately 37,000 Sri Lankan Tamils have returned
to Sri Lanka in the last two years.
Resettlement in the Region
Few countries within the region are willing to offer permanent
resettlement to refugees from neighboring countries, but many have been
generous with long-term asylum. Over the years, Pakistan and Iran have
offered asylum to over four million Afghans who are permitted to engage
in many economic activities and are not restricted to their camps.
Several countries in the Near East have extended work permits to
Palestinian, Iranian and Afghan refugees and displaced persons for long
periods of time. Saudi Arabia has provided adequately for Iraqis
currently residing within its territory but does not intend to offer
permanent resettlement.
Third-Country Resettlement
While third-country resettlement is not the preferred solution in most
cases, it is the only option for certain refugees at risk in countries
of first asylum. Of the 9 million refugees and displaced persons
estimated by UNHCR to be in the region, just 29,600 are deemed to be in
need of third-country resettlement. This includes the 23,000 Iraqis in
Rafha camp in Saudia Arabia, considered by UNHCR to be in particular
need of resettlement. Unfortunately, at the current pace of the multi-
country resettlement effort it will take another 4-5 years to complete
the resettlement operation, which UNHCR considers far too long. In
addition to the Rafha camp Iraqis, UNHCR has projected the need for
6,600 additional resettlement slots for refugees in the Middle East,
mostly for Iranians in Iraq but also for Iranians in Pakistan and Iraqis
in Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Syria. Many of these refugees will be
resettled by the United States, with sizeable numbers also being
accepted by the Scandinavian countries, Canada, Australia and Western
Europe.
U.S. Admissions
FY 1994. In FY 1994 the admissions ceiling for the Near East was set at
6,000. Applications by Iranian refugees have declined slightly this
fiscal year, so that only about 600 Iranian admissions are expected from
European posts in FY 1994. Post-Gulf War processing continues in
Turkey, with perhaps 400 Iranians and 200 Iraqi cases still to be
processed in Istanbul. We also expect the admission of 3,000 Iraqis
from Saudi Arabia. In addition, there have been numerous applications
from Iraqis at processing posts in Europe, with as many as 1,800 persons
expected to be admitted in FY 1994. We anticipate, therefore, that
about 5,000 Iraqis and 1,000 Iranians, for a total of as many as 6,000
persons, will be admitted under this ceiling during FY 1994.
Proposed FY 1995 Ceiling. The proposed FY 1995 admission ceiling for
the Near East is 5,000, down from the 6,000 ceiling for FY 1994.
For FY 1995, we anticipate continued admissions of Iranians (primarily
religious minorities). The processing of Iraqi refugee cases in Turkey
is nearly complete, with UNHCR having arranged the resettlement or
repatriation of nearly all Iraqis in camps in Turkey during FY 1994.
There are still 23,000 Iraqis who fled Iraq during and after the Gulf
War in a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia who are considered unable to
repatriate safely. We plan to participate in a UNHCR-led multi-country
resettlement effort by admitting up to 3,000 of them in FY 1995,
provided this effort is matched by other resettlement countries.
Applications by Iraqis in Europe, mostly immediate relatives of Iraqis
already admitted to the U.S. as refugees, are expected to continue in FY
1995, albeit at lower levels.
Proposed designated nationalities and processing priorities for FY 1995
are Iranians and Iraqis. On a case-by-case basis, nationals of other
countries may be processed with prior approval from Washington. Iraqis
will be considered in Priorities One through Four in Saudi Arabia and in
Priorities One and Two elsewhere. Iranians will be considered in
Priorities One and Two (including the religious minority category of
special concern in Priority One).
5. FORMER SOVIET UNION AND EASTERN EUROPE
Former Soviet Union
Over the past year, the countries of the former Soviet Union have
continued to wrestle with the difficult process of political and
economic reform. Although the new republics have pledged to ensure
freedom of emigration, and some steps have been taken in this direction,
full freedom of emigration has not yet been achieved.
Rising nationalism and ethnic tension continue to contribute to an
unstable situation for ethnic and religious minorities. Violent ethnic
conflicts have flared up in several of the republics, particularly
Tajikistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Some ethnic groups dispersed
throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to their traditional
homelands. Other persons seek to migrate within and between republics
in response to political instability and difficult economic conditions.
Eastern Europe
In many countries in Western Europe the proportion of asylum-seekers
coming from Eastern Europe has decreased as democratic reforms have
taken hold. A notable exception to this trend were persons fleeing
conflict in the former Yugoslavia, who constituted large parts of the
asylum-seeking
populations in nearly every country of Western Europe. Large numbers of
Albanians and Romanians seeking economic opportunities also remain in
some European countries. Most other Eastern European asylum-seekers,
however, are now found ineligible for refugee status since they can
return to their homes without fear of persecution.
Third-Country Resettlement
In addition to the United States and the countries of Western Europe,
Australia and Canada also have resettled Eastern Europeans, and Israel
has resettled Soviet Jews and Jews from other countries. Between FY
1975 and FY 1993, nearly 118,000 refugees from Eastern Europe and
370,000 refugees from the former Soviet Union were resettled in the
United States. In FY 1994, the U.S. refugee program has accepted
applications only from nationals of the former Soviet Union and from
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
U.S. Admissions
FY 1994. In FY 1994, the admissions ceiling for the former Soviet Union
and Eastern Europe was set at 55,000, and subsequently was lowered to
53,000. As of July 31, 1994, 34,788 former Soviets, 5,038 persons from
Bosnia-Herzegovina, and 247 persons from other Eastern European
countries had been admitted to the U.S. as refugees. FY 1994 admissions
under the a combined Former Soviet Union/Eastern Europe ceiling are
projected at 48,000 persons, consisting of approximately 42,000 former
Soviets, 5,700 Bosnians, and 300 persons of other nationalities.
Proposed FY 1995 Ceiling. The proposed ceiling for FY 1995 for the
former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe is 48,000.
Designated Nationalities. For FY 1995, eligible persons who were
nationals of the former Soviet Union prior to September 2, 1991, or
certain nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina will be designated for refugee
admission. The former Soviet Union will be designated for in-country
processing.
Former Soviet Union Admissions. The admission numbers for the former
Soviet Union will be made available under Priority One to groups
identified in the Lautenberg Amendment; i.e., Jews, Evangelical
Christians, members of the Ukrainian Catholics and Orthodox churches,
and other individuals of concern, such as "refusniks." The vast
majority of former Soviet refugees now being interviewed have family
ties to the U.S. There currently are more than 50,000 applications on
file which meet the eligibility criteria for the Soviet program and are
awaiting scheduling of interviews. Approximately 3,000 persons are
scheduled for interviews each month. The rate of new applications
received averages 4,000 persons per month, of which 40 to 50 percent are
estimated to meet the program's eligibility criteria.
Eastern Europe Admissions. Democratic changes in most of Eastern Europe
have allowed this program to be narrowed significantly. However,
continued fighting in the former Yugoslavia, and in Bosnia-Herzegovina
in particular, will continue to generate refugees in need of
resettlement. Bosnian Muslims from Bosnia-Herzegovina in Priorities One
through Four are eligible to submit refugee applications. In Priority
One they are: vulnerable Bosnian Muslims, and on an exceptional basis
non-Muslim Bosnians, referred for resettlement by UNHCR, such as former
detainees, torture victims, and women victims of violence; persons in
mixed-marriages of any ethnic background; immediate family members of
minor U.S. citizen children who have been displaced as a result of the
fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and, Bosnian Muslims, and on an
exceptional basis non-Muslim Bosnians, selected by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) for medical treatment in the U.S. In
Priorities Two through Four, Bosnian Muslim relatives of persons
permanently and legally residing in the U.S. are eligible for the
program. As developments in the former Yugoslavia unfold, adjustments
in these processing criteria may be necessary.
The U.S. goal remains to encourage conditions in Bosnia-Herzegovina that
will ultimately permit large-scale repatriation. Nonetheless, even with
substantial repatriation to Bosnia, conditions in the region may
ultimately require additional resettlement efforts. We also anticipate
a small number of admissions of Eastern European Visas 93 recipients
(i.e., spouses and children of previously admitted refugees), who will
be primarily from Albania and Romania.
6. UNALLOCATED RESERVE
Included in the FY 1994 admissions program was an unallocated reserve of
3,000 admissions numbers which could be used for refugees anywhere in
the world. All 3,000 of these numbers were reallocated to the Latin
America/Caribbean ceiling for the use of Haitians. Given the current
uncertainties surrounding refugee situations and resettlement needs in
many locations (e.g., Bosnia-Herzegovina and Haiti), as well as the
desirability of maintaining sufficient flexibility to react to refugee
emergencies, we propose again to maintain an unallocated reserve in FY
1995 at 2,000 numbers.
7. PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVE (PSI)
The Private Sector Initiative is a joint private and public venture in
which the costs of admitting and resettling refugees are paid by the
private sector. Since the first proposal under this program was
approved in 1988, the great majority of refugees admitted under PSI have
been Cuban. In FY-92, 853 Cuban refugees were admitted under the
program. In FY-93, the number decreased to 251 admissions, all of which
actually had been approved in FY-92. There were no PSI admissions in
FY-94. In order for a private organization to sponsor refugee
admissions under the PSI, it must sign a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization
Service. The proposed refugee admissions ceiling for FY-95 includes
2,000 numbers for PSI.
II. PROPOSED PLANS FOR MOVEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT
A. ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES
1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Applicants for refugee admission into the United States must meet all of
the following criteria:
-- The applicant must meet the definition of a refugee contained in the
Immigration and Nationality Act;
-- The applicant must be among those refugees determined by the
President to be of special humanitarian concern to the United States;
-- The applicant must be otherwise admissible under United States law;
and,
-- The applicant must not be firmly resettled in any foreign country.
Although a refugee may meet the above criteria, the existence of the
U.S. refugee admissions program does not create any entitlement for that
person to be admitted to the United States. The admissions program is a
legal mechanism for admitting a refugee who is among those classes of
persons that are of particular interest to the United States.
With respect to persons applying overseas for admission to the United
States as refugees, an initial review is performed to evaluate cases
based on U.S. national interests, the refugees' situation in temporary
asylum, the conditions from which they have fled, and other humanitarian
considerations. Applicants who meet the criteria specified above and
who fall within the priorities established for the relevant nationality
or region, are presented to the INS for determination of eligibility for
admission under Section 101(a)(42) of the INA.
2. PROCESSING POSTS
Applicants for admission to the U.S. as refugees are expected to present
themselves at certain Foreign Service posts which have been designated
as "refugee processing posts." These posts provide private voluntary
agency or consular assistance to applicants in preparing casework for
INS interviews. Designated refugee processing posts either have a
resident INS officer or are regularly scheduled for INS circuit rides.
Posts so designated for FY 1995 are:
Africa Nairobi, Lusaka
East Asia Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila
Europe Ankara, Athens, Belgrade, Frankfurt, Madrid,
Moscow (former Soviets only), Rome, Vienna, Zagreb
Latin America and Havana (Cubans only), Port-au-Prince (Haitians
Caribbean only), Mexico
Near East Cairo, Riyadh
South Asia New Delhi
Posts not designated for refugee processing should advise persons
seeking resettlement in the U.S. to approach the UNHCR for guidance and
appropriate assistance, including possible movement to a processing
post. Non-designated posts wishing an INS circuit ride in exceptional
cases must refer their requests to Washington. Consular sections at
non-designated posts handle approved Visas-92 and Visas-93 cases, in
coordination with INS.
3. THE WORLDWIDE PRIORITY SYSTEM
The worldwide processing priority system sets guidelines for the orderly
management of refugee applications for admission within the established
annual regional ceilings. The priority system has been revised for FY-
95 to reflect trends over the past several years in the world-wide
refugee resettlement caseload.
The issues of whether a person meets the definition of a refugee under
U.S. law and the priority that person may be assigned for consideration
of his case are separate and distinct. Assignment of an individual to a
particular processing priority does not reflect any judgement as to
whether that individual ultimately will qualify for admission to the
U.S. as a refugee, although it may reflect an assessment of the urgency
of the need for resettlement. Just as qualifying for refugee status
does not confer a right to resettlement in the United States, assignment
to a particular priority does not entitle a person to admission to the
United States as a refugee.
The U.S. refugee priorities system sets guidelines for the orderly
management of refugee admissions into the United States within the
established annual regional ceilings and is subject to change during the
fiscal year. Over the years, it has become increasingly apparent that
the six processing priorities originally established in the early years
of the huge Indochinese refugee outflows are less relevant to the
refugee populations in need of resettlement today. For example, former
USG employees, who were in Priority Two of the old system, are not
inherently at risk in today's non-Indochinese refugee situations in
which there often is no anti-American sentiment, whereas journalists
opposing a repressive regime may be vulnerable even in a country of
first asylum.
Accordingly, the old processing priorities have been revised to reflect
the U.S. intent of providing resettlement to those most in need, relying
to a greater extent on UNHCR to refer such individuals to our program.
We also have included discrete categories of individuals of concern to
the U.S. for selected nationalities. Since it makes sense that refugees
with relatives in the U.S. be resettled here rather than in other
countries, some family-based priority groups are still included in the
revised list. The refugee processing procedure will remain unchanged;
that is, refugees in Priority One are interviewed before those in
Priority Two, etc.
Refugee Processing Priorities - FY 1995
Priority One
UNHCR-referred or Embassy-identified persons in immediate danger of
loss of life.
UNHCR-referred or Embassy-identified cases of compelling concern
such as former political prisoners or dissidents.
UNHCR-referred vulnerable cases including women at risk, victims of
violence, torture survivors, and individuals in urgent need of medical
treatment not available in the first-asylum country.
UNHCR-referred cases of individuals for whom the other durable
solutions are not feasible and whose status in the place of asylum does
not present a satisfactory long-term solution.
Groups of special concern to the U.S. to be established as needed
by nationality (see listing below for FY 1995).
Priority Two
Spouses, unmarried sons and daughters, and parents of persons
lawfully admitted to the U.S. as Permanent Resident Aliens, refugees, or
asylees.
Unmarried sons and daughters, of any age, of U.S. citizens; parents
of U.S. citizens under 21 years of age. (Spouses and minor children of
U.S. citizens and the parents of U.S. citizens who have attained the age
of 21 are required by law to apply for admission on immigrant visas.)
Priority Three
Married sons and daughters and siblings of U.S. citizens and
persons lawfully admitted to the U.S. as Permanent Resident Aliens,
refugees, or asylees.
Priority Four
Grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and
first cousins of U.S. citizens and persons lawfully admitted to the U.S.
as Permanent Resident Aliens, refugees, or asylees.
Priority One Groups of Special Concern for FY 1995:
Burma Students/dissidents who are referred by UNHCR, arrived in
Thailand between March 15, 1988 and May 1, 1992, and have a
well-founded fear of persecution due to pro-democracy
activities in Burma.
Laos Highlanders (mostly Hmong)
Vietnam Former reeducation camp detainees who spent more than three
years in detention camps;
Certain former USG employees and other specified individuals
or groups of concern.
On a case-by-case basis, other individuals who have
experienced persecution because of post-1975 political,
religious, or human rights activities.
Former Soviet Union
Soviet Jews, Evangelical Christians, members of the Ukrainian
Catholic or Orthodox churches.
Bosnia Bosnian Muslims, and on an exceptional basis non-Muslim
Bosnians, referred by UNHCR, such as women victims of
violence, torture victims, ex-detainees, and other
individuals identified by UNHCR as requiring resettlement in
the U.S.
Vulnerable Bosnians in mixed marriages of any ethnic group
referred by UNHCR.
Parents and siblings of minor U.S. citizen children who have
been displaced by the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bosnian Muslims, and on an exceptional basis non-Muslim
Bosnians, referred by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) for medical treatment in the U.S.
Cuba Former political prisoners, members of persecuted religious
minorities, human rights activists, forced-labor conscripts,
persons deprived of their professional credentials or
subjected to other disproportionately harsh or discirminatory
treatment resulting from their perceived or actual political
or religious beliefs or activities, dissidents, and other
refugees of compelling concern to the U.S.
In third countries, Priority One Cubans may be processed if
they fled Cuba before November 20, 1987.
Haiti Senior and mid-level Aristide government officials; close
Aristide associates; journalists and educational activists
and high profile members of political, development, and
social organizations who have experienced significant and
persistent harassment by the de facto authorities, or who
have a credible fear because of their activities; others of
compelling concern to the U.S. and in immediate danger
because of their actual or perceived political beliefs or
activities; and others who appear to have a credible claim
that they will face persecution as defined in the Refugee
Convention. (The 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees
defines a refugee as someone who has a well-founded fear of
being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
membership in particular social group, or political opinion.)
Iran Refugees who have served in positions of leadership or played
a conspicuous role within a religious denomination whose
members are subjected to discrimination, including the
clergy, prominent laymen, those who have served in
denominational assemblies, governing bodies or councils;
refugees who because of their minority religious affiliations
have been deprived of employment, have been driven from their
homes, have had their business confiscated or looted, have
been denied educational opportunities available to others
similarly situated in the same area, or have been denied
pensions that would otherwise be available.
4. INS REFUGEE PROCESSING
Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) grants the
Attorney General the authority to admit, at her discretion, any refugee
who is not firmly resettled in a third country, who is determined to be
of special humanitarian concern, and who is admissible to the United
States as an immigrant. This authority has been delegated to the
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
In both overseas refugee processing and domestic asylum proceedings, INS
has the statutory role of decision maker, determining who meets the
requirements for refugee status.
INS Overseas Operations
The INS' overseas offices have a variety of responsibilities
administered by three District Offices located in Bangkok, Mexico City,
and Rome. The overseas officer corps currently consists of 19 officers
in the Bangkok District, including suboffices in Manila, Singapore,
Seoul, and Hong Kong; 15 officers in the Mexico City District, including
suboffices in Monterrey, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Tegucigalpa, and Port-
au-Prince; and 28 officers in the Rome District, including suboffices in
Frankfurt, Vienna, Athens, Moscow, London, Nairobi, and New Delhi. A
new suboffice in Karachi, Pakistan, is scheduled to open in FY 1995.
One of the most important responsibilities of INS' overseas program is
refugee processing. The percentage of time each office devotes to this
activity depends on the refugee workload, as well as the staffing
pattern and priorities within the office. The permanent staff are
augmented by temporary duty personnel from stateside offices, as needed.
Circuit rides to processing posts are arranged by the office having
geographic jurisdiction over the post.
In September 1993, Immigration Officers from the Rome District attended
a week-long course in advanced refugee training, which included
instruction on U.S. and international refugee law, interviewing
techniques, writing skills, human rights, and country conditions.
Bangkok District officers received similar training in February 1994.
Case Presentation to INS
A refugee applicant generally proceeds through the following steps
before his interview with an INS officer: an applicant is referred to a
Voluntary Agency (VOLAG) or Joint Voluntary Agency (JVA) for pre-
screening; if the applicant is of a nationality of special humanitarian
concern and within a processing priority eligible for U.S.
consideration, the VOLAG or JVA prepares the case for submission to INS
by assisting the applicant in filling out a request for refugee status,
a biographic information form, and other documents.
The Eligibility Determination
Eligibility for refugee status is decided on an individual, case-by-case
basis.
A personal interview of the applicant is held by an INS officer. The
interview is non-adversarial and is designed to elicit information about
the applicant's claim for refugee status. Questions are asked about the
reasons for the applicant's departure from his country, his political or
religious beliefs or activities, and problems or fears having to do with
his home country.
The determination of a well-founded fear of persecution requires judging
both objective and subjective elements of an applicant's claim.
Conditions in the country of origin are taken into consideration and the
applicant's credibility is assessed.
Persecution is the most difficult element of the refugee definition to
analyze and apply. There is no universally accepted definition of the
term "persecution," but it includes a threat to life or freedom.
Discrimination in the treatment of various groups is not, per se,
persecution but at times an accumulation of discriminatory measures may
involve such significant denials of opportunities to participate in
society that it constitutes a threat to freedom. Economic hardship is
not itself a basis for eligibility for refugee status but persecution
may take the form of economic reprisals, such as denial of the
opportunity to work.
Post-Interview Processing
After the interview, an applicant found eligible for refugee status must
have a medical examination and receive a sponsorship assurance. A
refugee admission number, subtracted from the annual ceiling, is
allocated. Transportation arrangements are made through the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the refugee signs a
travel loan, promising repayment of the cost of airfare.
At the U.S. Port of Entry, INS admits a refugee to the United States and
authorizes employment. After one year, a refugee is eligible for
adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident. Five years after
admission, a refugee is eligible for naturalization.
Asylum Issues
In FY 1991, the INS implemented the 1990 final rule on asylum, which
established not only a specialized corps of Asylum Officers, but an
entirely new organizational structure for processing asylum
applications.
Regional Asylum Offices were opened at seven sites around the United
States with a newly-hired corps of 82 Asylum Officers. During FY 1992,
the Asylum Officer Corps was expanded to 150 Officers to handle the
increasing workload. The regional offices are located in Arlington, VA;
Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Newark, NJ; and
San Francisco, CA. The asylum program is administered from these seven
locations, under the direction of INS Headquarters.
When the Asylum Offices opened on April 2, 1991, they had inherited a
backlog of more than 114,000 applications for asylum. During FY 1991,
approximately 60,000 asylum applications were filed. In FY 1992, this
number increased to more than 103,000 applications. In FY 1993, the
number of applications filed increased to approximately 150,000. This
level of filings has continued in FY 1994.
On July 27, 1993, the President announced that the Department of Justice
would develop regulations to significantly reform the asylum program in
the United States. On March 30, 1994, a proposed rule on asylum was
published in the Federal Register. This rule would amend existing
regulations to streamline the adjudication of asylum applications
submitted to Asylum Officers within the INS. The rule would allow the
INS to grant asylum to deserving applicants more promptly and to
expeditiously resolve non-meritorious cases.
The Resource Information Center was mandated by the 1990 final rule.
The Center was established with the Headquarters Asylum Division to
provide Asylum Officers with easily accessible information on the human
rights conditions in refugee-producing countries of origin. The Center
provides country profile reports as well as periodic "Alerts" on new or
evolving situations of direct interest and impact on the work of the
Asylum Officers.
Section 209 (b) of the INA permits the adjustment of status of persons
granted asylum in the United States who have been in the United States
as refugees for at least one year and who continue to qualify as
refugees. Up to 10,000 asylees may adjust each year to lawful permanent
resident status.
B. THE RESETTLEMENT PROCESS
1. VOLUNTARY AGENCY PROCESSING
The Department of State contracts with private voluntary agencies --
sometimes referred to as Joint Voluntary Agencies or "JVAs" -- to assist
in the processing of refugees for admission to the United States. These
agencies pre-screen applicants to determine if they fall within the
applicable processing priorities and otherwise appear eligible to be
scheduled for an INS refugee interview. In some cases, individuals who
appear to qualify for immigration to the U.S. are also advised of those
procedures. In addition, prior to interview, they assist the applicant
in completing the documentary requirements of the program. If approved,
voluntary agency staff guide the refugee through post-adjudication steps
such as obtaining a medical clearance and sponsorship assurance. In FY
1995, voluntary agencies will be under contract to the Department of
State at processing locations in Thailand, Haiti, Spain, Turkey,
Austria, Germany, Italy, Greece, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Croatia.
2. OVERSEAS LANGUAGE TRAINING AND CULTURAL ORIENTATION
The Department of State strives to ensure that refugees who are accepted
for admission to the United States are as well prepared as possible for
the significant changes they will experience during resettlement. In
support of this principle, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and
Migration contracts for pre-departure training and orientation programs
for eligible refugees at selected sites around the world.
In East Asia, the Bureau funds English-as-a-Second-Language and Cultural
Orientation (ESL/CO) programs in Thailand. Adult Indochinese refugees
participate in a 20-week program consisting of ESL/CO, and Work
Orientation. A special program for 11 to 16 year olds, Preparation for
American Secondary Schools (PASS), includes instruction in English,
American Studies, basic math, and school orientation. A program for 8
to 11 year olds also provides instruction in English, basic math, and
school skills to children who will enter elementary schools in the U.S.
In FY 1994 about 10,000 Indochinese refugees, including Amerasians
departing Vietnam under the Orderly Departure Program, are expected to
complete pre-entry training.
In Africa, the Bureau conducts a short orientation program in Kenya
which provides services primarily to Ethiopian and Somali refugees
enroute to the United States. English language training was added to
this program in 1994. For refugee groups who cannot participate in pre-
entry training, materials dealing with resettlement are often provided
to ease the transition to a new culture.
3. HEALTH SERVICES
The Office of Refugee Health (ORH), in the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is
the focal point for all activities of the U.S. Public Health Service in
refugee health. The ORH develops health and mental health policy and
identifies problem areas and solutions. Public Health Service agencies
active in refugee matters include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Health
Resources and Services Administration.
Close and regular consultative relations are maintained with the
Department of State, Department of Justice, HHS's Office of Refugee
Resettlement, State and local health departments, and international
organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Routine U.S. Public Health Service refugee operations include:
-- Monitoring the quality of medical examinations provided to refugees
in Southeast Asia and worldwide, through onsite visits and training
conferences;
-- Inspection of each refugee at the U.S. port of entry;
-- Notification to local health departments of each refugee's arrival,
with expedited notification of cases requiring special follow-up; and
-- Administration of a domestic preventive health program which
provides for refugee health assessments locally following resettlement.
4. INITIAL RECEPTION AND PLACEMENT
Under Reception and Placement (R&P;) program cooperative agreements
administered by the Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration,
eleven private voluntary agencies are responsible for providing initial
resettlement services to refugees during their first 90 days in the
United States and oversight of "free case" refugees (those without
relatives in the United States) for six months. Voluntary agencies
receive per capita funding ($655 in FY 1994), which is to be used along
with cash and in-kind contributions from private and other sources.
Refugee reception and placement services include:
-- Sponsorship;
-- Pre-arrival resettlement planning;
-- Reception;
-- Basic needs support for 30 days;
-- Counseling and orientation; and
-- Health, employment, and other necessary referral services.
In FY 1994 the domestic resettlement program will have witnessed large-
scale arrivals of Soviets and reeducation ex-detainees exiting Vietnam
through the Orderly Departure Program. Most arriving refugees join
family already resident in the United States.
5. TRANSPORTATION
The Department of State funds the transportation of refugees resettled
in the United States through a program administered by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) which includes funding for
international and domestic airfares, IOM processing, medical screening,
communications, documentation, and transit accommodations where
required. The cost of the airfares (over 80 percent of this total) is
provided for refugees in the form of a loan; loan beneficiaries are
responsible for repaying these costs over time after resettlement.
Funds provided for transportation loans and related services cover most
refugees resettled in the United States. Amerasian immigrants receive
services provided to refugees. Other immigrants enter the United States
on prepaid tickets.
6. ONGOING DOMESTIC RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMS
For FY 1995, the Administration's proposed budget for refugee domestic
resettlement is $413.8 million.
The purpose of the domestic resettlement program is to provide
assistance and services to refugees in order to assist them to obtain
employment and achieve economic sufficiency at the earliest possible
date. Federal resettlement assistance to refugees is provided primarily
through a State-administered refugee resettlement program funded by the
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a component agency of the
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the Department of
Health and Human Services. States administer the provision of cash and
medical assistance and social services to refugees and maintain legal
responsibility for the care of unaccompanied refugee children in the
State.
Refugees may apply for and receive public assistance, such as Aid to
Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Medicaid, the same as
American citizens. To assist needy refugees who do not meet the
categorical requirements of these programs, special refugee cash
assistance (RCA) and refugee medical assistance (RMA) are also made
available. Single refugees, childless couples, and some two-parent
families are the primary beneficiaries of these two programs. For FY
1995, the Administration has proposed $278.1 million for transitional
and medical assistance for needy refugees during their first few months
after arrival in the U.S. These funds are requested to provide cash and
medical assistance to eligible refugees, including unaccompanied minors,
under both the State-administered programs and voluntary agency
programs.
For FY 1995, the Administration has proposed $80.8 million for a broad
range of social services to refugees. As in past years, ORR will
allocate 85 percent of the social service funds to States on a formula
basis according to their proportion of all refugees who arrived in the
U.S. during the past three years. The remaining 15 percent of social
service funds will be awarded on a discretionary basis for initiatives
designed to reduce welfare dependency in States with large numbers of
refugees on welfare and to address the needs of special populations who
experience particular difficulty adjusting to life in the U.S.
In addition, special funds for services to refugees in counties which
are impacted by high concentrations of refugees and high welfare
utilization rates are provided by ORR through the targeted assistance
program. For FY 1995, the Administration has proposed $49.4 million for
this program, with most funds allocated for employment services which
directly enhance refugee employment potential, have specific employment
objectives, and are designed to enable refugees to obtain jobs within
not more than one year. Ten percent of the total appropriated funds are
awarded competitively for projects aimed at reducing welfare dependency
in highly impacted localities.
III. DOMESTIC IMPACT OF REFUGEES
A. DEMOGRAPHIC IMPACT
Refugee arrivals as a whole tend to be somewhat younger than the total
U.S. population or immigrants as a whole. The median age for refugees,
Cuban and Haitian entrants, and Amerasians from Vietnam arriving in FY
1993 was 26.3 years, compared with 27.8 years for all immigrants to the
U.S. and 33.5 years for the total U.S. population. About 22 percent of
refugee, Amerasian, and entrant arrivals were school age (5 to 17
years), compared with 18 percent for the U.S. Sixty-seven percent were
of working age (16-64), compared with 64 percent of the U.S. population.
Another eight percent were of retirement age (65 or older), compared
with 13 percent of the U.S. population.
The overall sex ratio of all FY 1993 arrivals was about 100.8, slightly
higher than that for the total U.S. population. (The sex ratio is the
number of males per 100 females. A ratio under 100 indicates more
females than males, while a ratio over 100 indicates more males than
females.) A considerable variation can also be found in the proportion
of males and females among the largest refugee groups. The sex ratio
was highest--indicating an excess of males--for arrivals from Cuba and
Haiti (366), Sudan (247), Iraq (199), Zaire (181), and Albania (178); it
was lowest--indicating an excess of females-- for arrivals from Romania
(75), the former Soviet Union (89), and Liberia (94). The sex ratio for
Amerasian immigrants was 98.
The demographic characteristics of arrivals from the 16 largest source
countries (which contributed 99 percent of recent arrivals) illustrated
the considerable variation among refugee groups. Median age varied from
a high of 36 years for Soviets and 31 years for Cubans and Iranians to
the strikingly low figures of 17 years for Liberians and Romanians and
12 years for Laotians.
About 60 percent of Laotian refugees, 53 percent of Liberian refugees,
and 52 percent of Romanian refugees were under age 18, more than twice
the proportion for the total U.S. population of 26 percent. The lowest
proportion of arrivals under 18 years was that for Cuban and Haitian
entrants (16 percent). The proportion of refugee arrivals under age 18
from several countries approximated the proportion of the total U.S.
population, with Albania, Vietnam, the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia,
and Iran ranging from 23 to 27 percent. Overall, about eight percent of
FY 1993 arrivals were 65 years or older. Only the refugees from the
former Soviet Union (15 percent) approximated the U.S. total population
(about 13 percent). In 12 of the 16 largest refugee groups, persons 65
or older comprised less than three percent of the arrival population.
About 64 percent of the U.S. total population was of working age in
1993. The average for all refugees, Amerasians, and entrants admitted
in FY 1993 was slightly higher (about 67 percent). Most refugee groups
either exceeded the U.S. average or were within a few percentage points
of that figure. Only the refugee groups from Laos (41 percent), Romania
(52 percent), Haiti (55 percent), and Liberia (55 percent) were
considerably below the U.S. average.
Because these groups differ from each other in their background
characteristics, any change in the mix of refugee nationalities in
future years will mean a corresponding change in the demographic impact
of the refugee population.
B. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
During FY 1993, 74.3 percent of newly arrived refugees, Amerasians, and
entrants resettled in ten States. The ten leading resettlement States
received 72.3 percent of the FY 1992 placements (Table III). California
and New York resettled almost one-half of all arrivals, 44.6 in FY 1993
versus 39.5 in FY 1992. Florida's total arrivals in FY 1993 declined
almost by half, primarily due to a 95 percent reduction in Haitian
entrants (571 in FY 1993 compared with 10,385 the previous year). Table
IV presents the number of refugee, entrant, and Amerasian arrivals for
every State in FY 1993 and the percent of total arrivals by State.
Generally, refugee communities in areas of current resettlement will
continue to grow with the admission of additional family reunification
cases.
Table V presents the cumulative State arrivals of Indochinese refugees
and Amerasian immigrants since 1975. Their geographic distribution is
now well established, with nearly 32 percent living in California and
the rest distributed widely. Texas (eight percent) and Washington (four
percent) were the only other States with more than four percent of the
Southeast Asian refugee population.
The residential distribution of the almost 667,000 refugees who have
arrived from areas outside Southeast Asia since FY 1975 is markedly
different from that of the Indochinese. Their wider distribution has
tended to diffuse the impact of refugee arrivals upon local communities.
Large numbers of these refugees have been resettled in cities in the
Northeast and the Midwest.
Table VI shows the resettlement pattern for non-Indochinese refugees
since 1975. New York, resettlement State for more than 124,000 non-
Indochinese refugees, surpassed California (113,000) during the past
year. The proportion of non-Indochinese arrivals to total arrivals is
also much higher, with about three-quarters of New York's arrivals from
outside Southeast Asia compared with about one-quarter for California.
Among States with significant resettlement numbers, the highest
proportions for non-Inodchinese refugees were Florida (63 percent), New
Jersey (55 percent), Maryland (50 percent), Illinois (44 percent), and
Michigan (43 percent). For about one-quarter of non-Indochinese
refugees, no State of initial resettlement was recorded. Almost all of
these arrived before the establishment of ORR's Refugee Data System in
1983.
Four FY 1993 nationalities were especially concentrated, with a majority
of each group's arrivals initially resettling in a single State.
Overall, 76 percent of Cuban arrivals and 51 percent of Haitian arrivals
resettled in Florida, including both refugees and entrants for each
group. California was the major destination for the other two
nationality groups, with 78 percent of Iranians and 53 percent of Lao
resettling there. California was also the major resettlement
destination for several other established refugee arrival groups in FY
1993: Afghans, 43 percent; Vietnamese, 42 percent; Ethiopians, 23
percent; and Iraqis, 22 percent. New York, however, was the major
resettlement destination of the largest refugee arrival group, Soviets
(41 percent).
Refugee groups that arrived in significant numbers only in recent years
were the most widely dispersed. New York was the major destination for
Bosnians (15 percent) and Liberians (24 percent), while California was
the major destination for Somalis (20 percent) and Amerasians (23
percent).
TABLE III
REFUGEES AND AMERASIANS:
NEW ARRIVALS IN TEN LEADING STATES IN FY 1992 AND FY 1993
FY 1993 FY 1992
State % Number State
% Number
California 25.5 1,425 California 23.2 33,541
New York 19.1 123,508 New York 16.3 23,508
Florida 6.6 8,112 Florida 10.9 15,737
Washington 4.7 5,731 Texas 4.2 6,006
Texas 4.6 5,630 Washington 3.7 5,401
Illinois 3.3 4,042 Illinois 3.6 5,165
Pennsylvania 2.9 3,622 Massachusetts 3.1 4,458
Massachusetts 2.9 3,556 Pennsylvania 3.0 4,295
Georgia 2.5 3,130 New Jersey 2.3 3,286
Minnesota 2.3 2,784 Georgia 2.2 3,170
TOTAL, Ten States 74.3 91,540 72.3 104,567
TOTAL, All States 100.0 123,215 100.0 144,549
FY 1992 arrivals: Refugees (114,538), Amerasians (17,087), Entrants
(12,924)
FY 1993 arrivals: Refugees (107,887), Amerasians (11,176), Entrants
(4,152)
Source: Office of Refugee Resettlement
______
TABLE IV
REFUGEES, ENTRANTS, AND AMERASIANS
ARRIVALS FROM ALL COUNTRIES BY STATE, FY 1993
State Number % State Number %
Alabama 201 0.2 Nevada 307 0.2
Alaska 39 a/ New Hampshire 160 0.1
Arizona 1,111 0.9 New Jersey 2,460 2.0
Arkansas 104 0.1 New Mexico 478 0.4
California 31,425 25.5 New York 23,508 19.1
Colorado 1,151 0.9 North Carolina 1,199 1.0
Connecticut 1,022 0.8 North Dakota 381 0.3
Delaware 33 a/ Ohio 2,148 1.7
Dist. Columbia 735 0.6 Oklahoma 532 0.4
Florida 8,112 6.6 Oregon 1,845 1.5
Georgia 3,130 2.5 Pennsylvania 3,622 2.9
Hawaii 293 0.2 Rhode Island 235 0.2
Idaho 255 0.2 South Carolina 116 0.1
Illinois 4,042 3.3 South Dakota 254 0.2
Indiana 460 0.4 Tennessee 1,089 0.9
Iowa 844 0.7 Texas 5,630 4.6
Kansas 694 0.6 Utah 584 0.5
Kentucky 627 0.5 Vermont 248 0.2
Louisiana 688 0.6 Virginia 2,252 1.8
Maine 249 0.2 Washington 5,731 4.7
Maryland 2,372 1.9 West Virginia 31 a/
Massachusetts 3,556 2.9 Wisconsin 1,793 1.5
Michigan 2,255 1.8 Wyoming 0 a/
Minnesota 2,784 2.3 Other b/ 11 a/
Mississippi 53 a/
Missouri 1,734 1.4
Montana 47 a/
Nebraska 563 0.5 TOTAL 123,215 100.0
a/ Less than 0.1 percent. Percentages do not add to total due to
rounding of figures.
b/ Includes Territories and unknown States not shown separately.
Source: Office of Refugee Resettlement
______
TABLE V
INDOCHINESE REFUGEES
CUMULATIVE ARRIVALS BY STATE OF INITIAL RESETTLEMENT a/
FY 1975 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 1993
% of % of
State of Nat'l State of Nat'l
Residence Arrivals Total Residence Arrivals Total
Alabama 6,343 0.6 Nevada 3,431 0.3
Alaska 554 b/ New Hampshire 1,577 0.1
Arizona 12,572 1.2 New Jersey 11,240 1.0
Arkansas 5,978 0.6 New Mexico 6,227 0.6
California 337,463 31.5 New York 41,644 3.9
Colorado 14,923 1.4 North Carolina 12,003 1.1
Connecticut 10,582 1.0 North Dakota 2,282 0.2
Delaware 461 b/ Ohio 15,309 1.4
Dist. Columbia 13,801 1.3 Oklahoma 14,073 1.3
Florida 24,251 2.3 Oregon 24,270 2.3
Georgia 21,573 2.0 Pennsylvania 38,939 3.6
Hawaii 10,451 1.0 Rhode Island 6,427 0.6
Idaho 2,625 0.2 South Carolina 3,435 0.3
Illinois 35,105 3.3 South Dakota 1,905 0.2
Indiana 6,801 0.6 Tennessee 12,210 1.1
Iowa 15,393 1.4 Texas 86,956 8.1
Kansas 13,038 1.2 Utah 13,225 1.2
Kentucky 6,634 0.6 Vermont 1,239 0.1
Louisiana 18,190 1.7 Virginia 26,628 2.5
Maine 2,702 0.3 Washington 46,879 4.4
Maryland 11,621 1.1 West Virginia 962 0.1
Massachusetts 30,696 2.9 Wisconsin 18,449 1.7
Michigan 15,683 1.5 Wyoming 398 b/
Minnesota 38,746 3.6 Other 398 b/
Mississippi 2,571 0.2
Missouri 15,380 1.4
Montana 1,556 0.1
Nebraska 6,672 0.6 TOTAL 1,072,471 100.0
a/ Includes Amerasian immigrants. Does not include births or deaths in
the U.S. or secondary migration between States.
b/ Less than 0.1 percent.
Source: Office of Refugee Resettlement
______
TABLE VI
NON-INDOCHINESE REFUGEES
CUMULATIVE ARRIVALS BY STATE OF INITIAL RESETTLEMENT a/
SEPTEMBER 30, 1993
Percent Percent
State of Total of State's State of Total of State's
Residence Arrivals Arrivals Residence Arrivals Arrivals
Alabama 398 5.9 Nevada 1,992 36.7
Alaska 208 27.3 New Hampshire 874 35.7
Arizona 4,721 27.3 New Jersey 13,895 55.3
Arkansas 225 3.6 New Mexico 1,191 16.1
California 113,838 25.2 New York 124,329 74.9
Colorado 4,036 21.3 North Carolina 1,539 11.4
Connecticut 6,506 38.1 North Dakota 1,244 35.3
Delaware 261 36.1 Ohio 9,702 38.8
Dist. Columbia 2,669 16.2 Oklahoma 615 4.2
Florida 41,601 63.2 Oregon 8,131 25.1
Georgia 6,381 22.8 Pennsylvania 16,760 30.1
Hawaii 108 1.0 Rhode Island 1,981 23.6
Idaho 1,916 42.2 South Carolina 326 8.7
Illinois 27,165 43.6 South Dakota 1,491 43.9
Indiana 1,751 20.5 Tennessee 3,063 20.1
Iowa 1,147 6.9 Texas 13,399 13.4
Kansas 1,066 7.6 Utah 2,048 13.4
Kentucky 1,141 14.7 Vermont 929 42.9
Louisiana 497 2.7 Virginia 6,769 20.3
Maine 1,530 36.2 Washington 15,282 24.6
Maryland 11,795 50.4 West Virginia 83 7.9
Massachusetts 16,599 35.1 Wisconsin 2,157 10.5
Michigan 11,870 43.1 Wyoming 99 19.9
Minnesota 5,176 11.8 Other b/ 176,066 99.6
Mississippi 82 3.1
Missouri 6,230 28.8
Montana 357 18.7
Nebraska 1,363 17.0 TOTAL 666,570 37.0
a/ Includes refugees arriving since FY 1975. Does not include Cuban
and Haitian entrants. Does not include births or deaths in the U.S. or
secondary migration between States.
b/ Prior to the establishment of the Refugee Data System in 1983, the
State of initial resettlement was not recorded for many non-Indochinese
refugee arrivals. The majority of these were from the Soviet Union.
Source: Office of Refugee Resettlement
______
C. SECONDARY MIGRATION
Secondary migration is the term used to describe movement by refugees
from the location where they were initially resettled upon arrival in
this country to some other place. A number of explanations for
secondary migration by refugees have been suggested: Employment
opportunities, the pull of an established ethnic community, more
generous welfare benefits, better training opportunities, reunification
with relatives, or a congenial climate.
ORR has developed a system based on reports from the States for
compiling and maintaining data on secondary migration. These data are
important not only for general program planning, but also for the
accurate computation of formulas for distribution of funds to States.
Results of the State reports are contained in ORR's annual Report to the
Congress.
Almost every State experienced both gains and losses through secondary
migration in FY 1993. On balance, 13 States gained net population
through secondary migration. The largest net gain was the State of
Washington, with net in-migration of 3,307. Iowa and North Carolina,
with strong in-migration and little out-migration, recorded net gains of
642 and 591, respectively. California and New York recorded the largest
net losses due to migration, 1,603 and 771, respectively.
D. ECONOMIC IMPACT
The net economic effect of refugees in the U.S. derives ultimately from
their contribution to the American economy and from the Federal, State,
and local government taxes they pay. In the short term, the primary
question is whether or not refugees are obtaining employment which
enables them to become self-supporting members of American society. ORR
conducts an annual survey of Southeast Asian refugees who have come to
the U.S. during the five previous years. The most recent survey from
which findings are available was conducted in October 1992 and included
598 refugee households that agreed to be interviewed. Results from the
survey indicate that the labor force participation rate (those working
or seeking work) for refugees 16 or older was 37 percent, compared to an
equivalent rate of 66 percent for the overall U.S. population.
As in previous years, labor force participation varied with length of
residence in the U.S. Refugees who had arrived in the U.S. during the
year of the survey (1992) had a labor force participation rate of 33
percent, while the 1991 arrivals had a labor force participation rate of
37 percent.
The 1992 survey also provided data on unemployed refugees (those who are
in the labor force, but not working). Late in 1992, the overall U.S.
unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, while the unemployment rate for
refugees of working age was 16 percent. Significant changes in
unemployment occur for refugees over time. In late 1992, the
unemployment rate for refugees who arrived in 1991 was 19 percent. The
unemployment rate of refugees who arrived the year before was 14
percent, while the rate for those who arrived in 1987 was six percent.
IV. ESTIMATED COSTS OF REFUGEE MOVEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT
The Federal agencies which incur major program costs for the admission
and resettlement of refugees in the United States are the Department of
State, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of
Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The Department of State provides funding for: (a) processing of refugees
abroad to identify those persons who may be eligible for the U.S.
refugee admissions program; (b) overseas refugee training services;
(c) medical examinations and transportation assistance through the
International Organization for Migration; (d) initial reception and
placement services in the United States through cooperative agreements
with voluntary agencies.
The Department of Health and Human Services has primary responsibility
for the domestic resettlement of refugees. Under the Refugee Act of
l980, eligible refugees may receive support services designed to
facilitate their successful settlement.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service has responsibility for and
bears the costs of determining eligibility for U.S. refugee
resettlement.
The estimated costs of services provided by the Department of State, the
Department of Health and Human Services and the Immigration and
Naturalization Service are based on the Administration's FY 1995 budget
request for the funded admission of up to 110,000 refugees.
It is not possible to provide accurate cost data on refugee utilization
of other Federal programs because statistics do not account for refugees
separately from the general population. Because of the significance of
the AFDC, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income programs, however,
an estimate based on the best available information concerning refugee
utilization of these programs has been made.
TABLE VII
ESTIMATED COSTS OF REFUGEE PROCESSING,
MOVEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT
FY 1995 ESTIMATE*
($ Millions)
AGENCY Estimated
Funding
DEPARTMENT OF STATE: Bureau for Refugee Programs
Refugee Processing 18.6
Language/Orientation Programs Overseas 6.1
Transportation 71.6
Reception & Placement 73.7
Subtotal 170.0
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES:
Office of Refugee Resettlement
Transitional and Medical Services 278.1
Employment Services 80.8
Targeted Assistance 49.4
Preventive Health 5.5
Subtotal 413.8
OTHER HHS
Family Support Payments to States 56.4
Medicaid 25.2
Supplemental Security Income 24.2
Subtotal 105.8
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: Immigration and Naturalization Service
Refugee Processing, Initial Interviewing and
Other Considerations of Applicants 10.6
Soviet Processing 4.1
Subtotal 14.7
GRAND TOTAL 704.3
*Figures are based on the Administration's budget request for FY 1995,
for the funded admission of up to 110,000 refugees. At the time this
report was prepared, Congress had not completed action on this request.
(###)
[END FY-95 PROPOSED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS]
To the top of this page