pabegeliai jav
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Refugees 101
The Advocates for Human Rights is pleased
to involve your class or community group in a day to learnabout refugees in the United States.
© The Advocates for Human Rights 2008
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• What makes someone arefugee?
• The refugee journey• Refugees to the U.S. –
numbers and policies
• How and why we protect
refugees
Overview
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Why do refugees leave
their countries?
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Refugees / Asylees
Refugees and asyleesleave their countries
because of war or
persecution due totheir nationality, race,
religion, politicalopinion or membership
in a group.
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What isPersecution?
While there is no universallyaccepted definition of persecution, threats to life orfreedom are always consideredpersecution when they occurbecause of a person’s:
• Race
• Religion
• Nationality
• Political opinion
• Membership in a particular
social group
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Persecution
Other serious violations of humanrights also constitutepersecution, including:
• Slavery
• Prolonged detention without acharge or trial
• Torture
• Overwhelming discrimination
Note: Not all unfair or unjust treatment is considered persecution.
Assessments of persecution are made on a case by case basis.
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Persecution Is Based On:
•Race – Examples include Apartheid in South Africa, theHolocaust and slavery.
•Religion – Could be forbidding membership in a religionor severe discrimination for people who practice areligion.
•Nationality – Includes citizenship or membership in anethnic or linguistic group. Examples include Kurds inIraq and ethnic groups in the former Soviet Union.
•Membership in a particular social group – Examplesinclude members of a tribe, former governmentemployees, or homosexuals.
•Political opinion – Examples include membership or
activity in an opposing political party.
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What Is The DifferenceBetween a Refugee and an Asylee?
• A refugee receivespermission to come tothe U.S. from outside of the country.
• Refugees are resettledwith the help of arefugee resettlement
agency.
• An asylee is already in the U.S. when s/he
applies for protection.• Asylees have to prove
that they have reasonto fear persecution intheir home country.
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World Refugee Survey (2008) 9
Finland (724)…………….1:7,300
Denmark (472)…………
1:11,700Ireland (144)……………1:30,600
Netherlands (518)……...1:31,700
United Kingdom(498)...1:122,500
Argentina (83)
Major Resettlement Countries of Refugees(by total number and ratio of refugees they accept)
Australia (10,722)…….1:2,000
Canada (11,079)
……....1:3,000Norway (1,397)………1:3,400
Sweden (1,848)……….1:4,900
New Zealand (697)…...1:6,000
United States
Total number of refugees worldwideat the end of 2007: 14,047,300
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Q: What Must Threats to Life or FreedomBe Based on In Order to Be Considered
Persecution?
(Click for the answers)
• Race• Religion
• Nationality
• Membership in a particular social group
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By nature of their situation,
refugees have to leave theirhomelands behind.
What would it feel like to leave YOUR homeland behind?
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Understanding The Journey of the Refugee
The following section of slides are adapted from Flight to Hope: A Catholic Refugee Awareness Educational
Project , Prepared by the Catholic Consortium on
Refugee Awareness Education (1990)
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War, severe discrimination orpersecution often make it toodangerous for people toremain in their homeland.
This stage is characterizedby:
•Fear of detection
•Anxiety about conditions
•Pressure about escape
•Fear of persecution
•Anticipated sadness overlosses
Pre-Escape
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Fearful for their safety or lives,refugees are forced to flee.
They may leave secretly or
are chased out. Many dietrying to escape. Those lucky
enough to escape theircountry are considered
refugees.
Illustration used with permission ©PeterKuper
Escape
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During their Escape, Refugees MayExperience:
•Panic
•Shock
•Fear
•Danger
•Hunger
•Fatigue
•Separation
•Fear of victimization
•Fear of beingdetected orcaught in thecrossfire
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The average stay in arefugee camp is years.Many camps are heavily
guarded, surrounded bybarbed wire. Refugees are
sometimes treated cruelly byguards. Most camps are
operated by the UnitedNations and receive helpfrom donor countries. Therefugees await solutions to
the problems in their
homelands.
The Refugee Camp
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The Refugee Camp Experience is Characterized By:
• Boredom
• Shock
• Depression
• Anger
•Hope mingledwithdisappointment
•Adjustment tonew livingconditions
•Hopelessness
• Fear of theunknown
• Culture shock
• Survivor’s guilt• Helplessness
•Powerlessness
•Self-doubt•Struggle tomeet survivalneeds
•Confusion
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Voluntary Repatriation
If changes happen in their homeland making it safe toreturn home, refugees are repatriated. This is the firsthope for those forced to leave their homeland.Unfortunately, this seldom happens quickly, if ever. Thefeelings repatriated refugees experience include:
•Fear of reprisal
•Anticipation of reunions with friends and family
•Fear that deaths of loved ones will be confirmed
•Fear that loss of possessions will be confirmed
•Fear of government’s intentions
•Concern about re-integration
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Refugees are sometimesallowed to leave the
camps and take
residency in the hostcountry. This usuallyhappens when that
country is a neighbor of their own, where the
language and cultureare somewhat similar.
Local Integration
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Interview forResettlement
The United Nations officials interview people to
determine if their situation “qualifies” them asrefugees. Only those who can prove they are
escaping persecution and are unable to returnhome are eligible to ask to go to another country.
If they ask to go to the U.S., refugees are theninterviewed by the U.S. Refugee Program officials
and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
officials to determine if they meet our eligibilityrequirements. The U.S. is stricter than the U.N. Forinstance, fleeing due to famine is considered
economic migration not persecution by the U.S.
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Approval and Flight
Refugees who areapproved to come to theU.S. are given a health
screening and culturalorientation.
Refugees sign a travel
loan document agreeingto pay back the cost of
the flight.
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Arrival in the U.S.
As refugees come to the U.S.,
they are assigned to a RefugeeResettlement Agency wherethey receive assistance andguidance as they begin their
new lives. The Voluntary Resettlement
Agencies (VOLAGs) accreditedto resettle refugees provide
days of service through theDepartment of State and thenprovide after-care services.
Ongoing services may include
public assistance, medical
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• The fact of never goinghome
•Loss of family and friends
•Loss of familiar culture•Anxiety overdiscrimination in hostcountry
•Concern over culturaladaptation
•Concern for economic
survival
When Refugees are Resettled, TheyMay Face:
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Refugees to theU.S.
Each year, the federalgovernmentdetermines how many
refugees will beallowed to enter. The
recent yearly refugeecap has been 70,000.
According to the
Department of Homeland Security,
the actual number of refugees resettled in
2006 was 41,150.
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World Refugee Survey (2008) 26
Iran:3,900
Guatemala:
3,400Vietnam:3,400
Ethiopia:3,200
Indonesia:3,100
Ukraine:
Refugees to the U.S. at the End of 2007
(by Country of Origin)
China:16,800
Haiti:
12,300Cuba:11,700
Somalia:11,600
Colombia:8,200
Russia:
Total number of refugees in the U.S.at the end of 2007: 151,200
India:2,800
Nicaragua:
2,400
Myanmar:2,200
Sudan:2,200
Other:42,800
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Q: What Phases Might A Refugee GoThrough During His or Her Journey?
(Click for the answers)
• Pre-escape
• Escape• Stay in a refugee camp
• Voluntary repatriation
• Local integration
• Resettlement in anothercountry
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What Do You Think? Can a Refugee to theU.S. ...
Sponsor afamily
member
to cometo theU.S?
Stay inthe U.S.forever?
Legallywork in the
U.S.?
Become a U.S.citizen?
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After Refugees Have Been in the U.S.for 1 Year, They May Apply to
Become Lawful Permanent Residents
• Lawful permanentresidents havepermission to remainin the U.S. for as longas they choose.
• They must keep takeout permission for
their green card every 10 years andremain crime free.
• They can sponsortheir spouse and
unmarried children to
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Employment
• Refugees in the U.S.are authorized to work.
• They may be eligible
for employmentcounseling andreferrals through theirresettlement agency.
• Often, the training andlicenses for theprofession refugees didin their home countryare not accepted in theU.S.
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Lawful Permanent ResidentsMay Become U.S. Citizens
Eligible refugees maychoose to go through the
process of
to become a U.S. citizen.
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To Become a Naturalized Citizen, OneMust:
• Have a green card foreither 3 or 5 years basedon your particularsituation.
• Be physically present inthe U.S. for 2.5 years.
• Pay an application fee of $675.
• Pass the citizenship test.• Pass the interview inEnglish.
• Swear to the judge youwill follow the laws of the
U.S.
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Which States Resettle the Most Refugees?
Can you guess the top 10 statesof resettlement in the U.S.?
Where would YOUR state rank inresettlement?
0 S f f l i
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U.S. Department of State
Top 10 States for Refugee Resettlement in2005
State Total Arrivals % of U.S. Arrivals
California 7,516 13.97%
Minnesota 6,357 11.81%
Florida 4,793 8.91%
Texas 3,245 6.03%
Washington
2,847 5.29%
New York 2,568 4.77%
Arizona 1,872 3.48%
Georgia 1,870 3.47%
Wisconsin 1,851 3.44%
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U.S. Department of State
States Ranked by Refugees Resettled
1 Califor. 11 Penns. 21 Kent. 31 Louis. 41 Alab.
2 Minn. 12 Illinois 22 Maryl. 32 R. Isl. 42 N.Mex
3 Florida 13 Mass. 23 Utah 33 N. Dak. 43 Alaska
4 Texas 14 Virgin. 24 N. Jers. 34 Nebras.44 D.C.
5 Wash. 15 N.Car. 25 Idaho 35 S. Dak. 45 Haw.
6 N. York 16 Oregon
26 Conn. 36 Verm. 46 Delaw.
7 Arizona 17 Missou.
27 Indiana 37 Maine 47 Ark.
8 Georgia 18 Color. 28 Iowa 38 Kansas 48 Mont.
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Why Should We Protect Refugees?
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International Laws Protect Refugees
• U.N. 1951 Convention relatingto the Status of Refugees (April22, 1954)
– Defines who is a refugee
–Sets out rights of refugees– Establishes standards of treatment by receivingcountries
– Limited to pre-1951
European refugees• 1967 Protocol relating to the
Status of Refugees (October 4,1967)
– Removes geographic andtime limitations of above-
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Principal of Non-Refoulement
Under the internationalhuman
rights principle of non-
refoulement, a country
cannotdeport an alien in any
manner to
a territory where his or herlife
or freedom would bethreatened
on account of his or herrace,
religion, nationality,
United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951, Article 33;
Convention Against Torture, Article 3; International Covenant on Civil andPolitical Rights, Article 5
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What ideas do YOU have abouthow to make your world better for
refugees?
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For More Information,Visit Energy of a Nation on the Web!
• Obtain accurate and up-to-date information aboutimmigrants and refugees.
• Learn about current
legislation.• Take action by contacting
leaders and lawmakers.• Participate in community
events.
• Learn about the issues.• Access reports and resources
on state and nationalimmigration.All Free and Downloadable at: www.energyofanation.org!