Triangle / South Carolina

Who are Refugees?

Refugees are people who are forced to flee their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.

Currently there are more than 13 million people worldwide who have been forced to flee persecution in their home country and live as refugees in a foreign land. Millions more are displaced internally within their own country. Many are forced to live for years in overcrowded refugee camps where they must struggle daily to meet their basic needs. Those who are not able to reach the protection of a camp must live in unstable and dangerous conditions, moving often from place to place to avoid danger.  All are in need of a safe place to call home.

How Do Refugees Get to the United States?

• The Refugee flees from his/her country of origin the refugee registers with the United Nations for the High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). 
• UNHCR makes sure that the individual qualifies as a refugee under international law and refers them to a U.S. Embassy with a Refugee Processing Post
• Overseas Processing Entity (OPE), an agency contracted with the Department of State Bureau of Population and Migration (PRM) prepares a case file.
• Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services conducts a detailed, face-to-face interview with the individual to determine if s/he qualifies as refugee under U.S. law.
• The case is then submitted to PRM for final approval for admission and the refugee’s information is sent to the Refugee Processing Center in Arlington, VA.
• Refugee receives a medical examination and cultural orientation to the U.S.
• Once all procedures are cleared, the refugee leaves their initial country of asylum, and arrives at the airport where they are met by refugee resettlement staff.
• Resettlement agencies provide core services for the refugees along with ESL referral, and employment assistance.

How Does Refugee Resettlement Work?

The U.S. Government determines the admission ceiling for refugees annually.

A person may be referred by UNHCR, the U.S. embassy or by a relative who is currently living in the United States. Candidates must be interviewed and screened by the Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Once a refugee is approved for admission they are allocated to one of 10 national U.S. voluntary resettlement agencies.