VOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT AGENCY, STATE SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B00017R000400200014-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2012
• Sequence Number: 14
• Content Type: MISC

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INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW
Under the Refugee Act of 1980, the responsibility
for carrying out various functions in refugee resettle-
ment is delegated to a number of federal agencies. For
instahce, the numbers and allocation of refugeesito be
admitted during a given year are determined by the Presi-
dent in consultation with Congress. The Immigration and
Naturalization Service (INS) has the res onsibility of
determining, on an individual basis, which of the many
applicants meet the eli ibilit criteria forthe United
States' re ugee program based on categories outlined by
law and priorities set by the Department of State.
The Department of State is also charged with the respon-
sibility for ovig processingof refugees r ad
and ESL/cultural orientati
the ra e o cam., determining
ow in o the United States, and monitoring
the cooperative agreements with voluntary agen-611-g?for
initia reception an p acemen .
The Department ofillth_.2.2g_Liuman Services is
rp_Quaible, through its regional off3Th7ci-g---a----ndgrants to
states, for rovision of educa i a social services.
The states, in turn, t rough a variety of mechanisms,
including grants to counties, purchase-of-service contracts
and interagency agreements, are responsible for determining
the type and location of services offered. The Department
of Education is responsible for the distribution of funds
to local school districts for educational services to
refugee children. In addition, a number of international
organizations including the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Inter-
governmental Committee for Migration (ICM) have responsibil-
ity for aspects of refugee resettlement worldwide.
PRIVATE VOLUNTARY AGENCY ROLE
The private voluntary agency role, although only a
part of a complex process, is central to resettlement. It
is essentially two-fold, involving both assistance with
overseas processing and initial domestic reception and
placement.
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VOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT AGENCY
STATE SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
FISCAL YEAR 1983
COMMITTEE ON
MIGRATION AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES FOR FOREIGN SERVICE, INC.
200 Park Avenue South New York, N.Y. 10003
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART ONE
'NATIONAL OVERVIEW
PAGE
Preface
ii
Introduction
iii
American Council for Nationalities Service
1
American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees
13
Buddhist Council for Refugee Rescue and Resettlement
17
Church World Service
25
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
46
International Rescue Committee
56
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
64
Polish American Immigration and Relief Committee
79
Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief
85
Tolstoy Foundation
95
United States Catholic Conference/Migration and Refugee
Services
102,
World Relief Refugee Services
114
Young Men's Christian Association
125
PART TWO
STATE SPECIFIC DESCRIPTIONS
Alabama Kentucky Ohio
Alaska Louisiana Oklahoma
Arizona Maine Oregon
Arkansas Maryland Pennsylvania
California Massachusetts Puerto Rio
Colorado Michigan Rhode Island
Connecticut Minnesota South Carolina
Delaware Mississippi ? South Dakota
District of Columbia Missouri Tennessee
Florida Montana Texas
Georgia Nebraska Utah
Guam Nevada Vermont
Hawaii New Hampshire Virginia
Idaho New Jersey Washington
Illinois New Mexico West Virginia
Indiana New York Wisconsin
Iowa North Carolina Wyoming
Kansas North Dakota
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PREFACE
The purpose of this document is to provide basic
information about private, voluntary organizations'in-
volvement in refugee resettlement in the United States.
It has been assembled by the Refugee Resource Center
on behalf of the Committee on Migration and Refugee
Affairs primarily for use by public agencies endeavoring
to carry out their resettlement-related responsibilities.
While this handbook can be helpful in understanding
the processes, organizations and services associated
with voluntary agency resettlement activities, ft is
not, nor is it intended to be, a complete guide to
resettlement in the United States. Users of this guide
are encouraged to request additional information from
the appropriate resettlement agency or others involved
in resettlement.
This document contains three main sections:
1. Description of the Committee on Migration
and Refugee Affairs and the American
Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign
Service, and an overview of refugee
admission, reception and placement;
2. Descriptions of the national level oper-
ations of the twelve private, voluntary
Organizations involved in refugee re-
settlement;
3. Descriptions of voluntary agency activities
by state.
Both the national overview section and the individual
state descriptions contain projections of numbers to
be resettled in FY 1983. It must be understood, however,
that these numbers are tentative projections which can
change as the myriad conditions affecting the flow
of refugees into the United States change.
Produced by the Refugee Resource Center
of the Conrmittee on Migration and Refugee
Affairs, AMPS, Inc. under grants from
the Department of Health and Human Services
(#96-P-10012-2-02) and the U.S. Department
of State (#1037-120168)
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INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW
Under the Refugee Act of 1980, the responsibility
for carrying out various functions in refugee resettle-
ment is delegated to a number of federal agencies. For
instance, the numbers and allocation of refuge9s to be
admitted during a given year are determined by the Presi-
dent in consultation with'Congress. The Immigration and
Naturalization Service (INS) has the responsibility of
determining, on an individual basis, which of the many
applicants meet the eli-ibilit criteria forthe United
States' re ugee program based on categories outlined by
rau-a-Ea priorities set by the -Department of State.
The Department of State is also charged with the respon-
sibility for overseeing Processing of refugees abroad
and ESL/cultural orientatio0 0* . ? cam's, determining
the ra e o ow into the United States, and monitoring
the cooperative agreements with voluntary agenCiTg?for
initial reception and placement.
The Department of Health and Human Services is
resi5onsible, through its regional offices and grants to
states, for provision of educational and social services.
The states, in turn, through a variety of mechanisms,
including grants to counties, purchase-of-service contra
and interagency agreements, are responsible for determining
the type and location of services offered. The Department
of Education is responsible for the distribution of funds
to local school districts for educational services' to
refugee children. In addition, a number of international
organizations including the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Inter-
governmental Committee for Migration (ICM) have responsibil-
ity for aspects of refugee resettlement worldwide.
PRIVATE VOLUNTARY AGENCY ROLE
The private voluntary agency role, although only a
part of a complex process, is central to resettlement. It
is essentially two-fold, involving both assistance with
overseas processing and initial domestic reception and
placement.
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Iv.
OVERSEAS PROCESSING
Specific procedures by which refugees reach the
United States from countries of first asylum depend
not on the country of origin or nationality of the
refugee, but on current location. Individuals may apply
for the United States refugee program at any United
States Embassy or Consulate, or request assistance through
the UNHCR. They may also seek guidance from a United
States voluntary agency in applying to the proper United
States government official.
Refugees in Europe
In Europe, care and maintenance of refugees in
countries of first asylum is usually provided mainly by
the host government, with some assistance from UNHCR
and, for U.S. bound refugees, from the United States
government. While refugee camps housing large numbers at a
single location do exist, the majority of refugees in
European countries are scattered throughout the country.
Persons in first asylum countries in Europe wishing
to apply for resettlement in the United States may do so
at a vo un ary agency office where they receive assistance
in filling out-the necessary forms. Voluntary agency staff
sends the biographic file to its United S ates office for
an assurance o sponsors ip an su mits the case to
an INS ofli-E61,-VJUT-Tet-e-YEThes the applicant's eligibility
for admission to the United States s a refugee. Volun-
t. a:encies currently maintain offices in ustria-T--
Be :ium Britain, $enmark, France, Germany, reece,
Ireland, Italy,Luxem ourg e e er an .s, pain,
Sweden and Switzerland.
Refugees from Southeast Asia, Africa or Pakistan
When a refugee applies for admission to the United
States frp_m_8_111theaat_ABIa, Africa or Pakistan, initial
Proc!!!4Dglipz_Ip_pxezentafi-On of the case to INS
is carried out by a Joint Volun A enc Re resentative
(JVA w o assists United States government ?Melia s with
fHI-Troceing. Althou h JVAR offices o erate on behalf of
all U.S. voluntary resettlemen agencies each is ad-
ministered by one agenc under contract with the Department
of State. Currently, .I_JYAX_Qiiices are locate in ai and,
MalAysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore,
and Pakistan. In addition, a s ecial Orderly Departure
Pi7ogram JVAR is_a_tAti2ne_4_11/22 o assis in the pro-
cessing of United States bound refugees released directly
by the government of Vietnam.
)704-it e---eue4
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V.
An initial interview with JVAR staff provides basic
information needed for application for the United States
refugee program. When family ties in the United States
or previous affiliation with the United States are claimed
by the applicant, the JVAR contacts domestic agencies to
collect documentation and subtantiate eligibility. Each
case is reviewed by the United States Embassy Refugee
6-Ticers who determine if the refug_ilfet the criteria
for thelJnited States program. The case is then submitted
to an INS officer who makes the final determination of
admissability-to the United States.
Refugees from Latin America (Central and SouthsAmerica,
including the Caribbean)
Refugees admitted from Latin America are current
or former political prisoners, persons in life-threatening
situations and immediate relatives of previously admitted
refugees still holding that status (Visa-93 cases). Small,
special programs have been set up to process these groups.
Otherwise, the Department of State anticipates that Latin
American refugees with rare exceptions will not require
res_e_IIlement_in_tha_U-S. These exceptions may apply at
a U.S. Embassy or Consulate or through the UNHCR. The
aproIrEdIlons are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Qne specific group considered eligible for the. U.S.
program is Argentine political prisoners. Friends or
relatives may file applications on their behalf at the
U.S. Embassy. The Embassy seeks permission from the
Argentine Foreign Ministry to have the INS interview
the persons in jail. Final permission to leave must be
granted by the Argentine governmept. The process is lengthy
and the numbers small: one Argentine arrived in FY82 and
two have arrived so far in FY83.
Andather_agerjfip eligible for U.S. resettlement
is former Cuban political prisoners and their families
who arrived in Panama, Siamn or Costa Rica before Ma
Luiz. All app icants are interviewe. .y the INS. In Spain,
IRC anditSCC have offices and,process applications.
Files from Panama and Costa Rica are sent to the Refugee
Data Center for distribution to the voluntary agencies.
The refugees usually resettle with family members already
in the U.S.
INITIAL RECEPTION AND PLACEMENT
The twelve voluntary resettlement agencies and two
states currently providing re-C-JP-Tion and placement services
for refugees do so under cooperative agreements with the
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vi.
Department of State's Bureau for Refugee Programs.
Under these agreements, the agencies and states involved
(Iowa and Idaho) receive a per capita grant for each
refugee resettled. The current per capita grant for Euro-
peans is $365, for all others, the per capita grant is
On e a refugee has been determined eli ible b INS,
the JVAR or the vo untary agency completes the biographic
file and sends it to the Refugee Data Center, which distri-
butes the cases th u h an allocation process to the national
offices of the voluntary agencies. ac nationa o ice
then explores placement options within its national
network. Each agency considers a number of factors in
determining the best resettlement location for the refu-
gees it accepts for sponsorship. These factors include:
Family ties;
Availability of jobs;
Availability of affordable housing;
Availability of public and private resources,
such as health facilities, schools and social
services;
Local voluntary agency resettlement capabilities
and long-term service strategies;
Community attitudes towards refugees;
Number of refugees and their ethnic composition
in the community;
Long-term welfare dependency situation among
refugees in the area;
Degree of secondary migration among the ex-
isting refugee population.
Based on these considerations, the voluntary agency
arranges placement through its network of local affiliates.
The local affiliate may be a church parish, a social service
agency or other community group. When a placement has
been arranged, an assurance of sponsorship, by which an
?
agency assumes responsibilit fo icular case
telexed overseas. Ina arrangements for travel to the
United States can then be made.
The cooperative agreements outline the basic or "core"
services which are deemed necessary to resettlement,-and
authorize agencies to insure the availability of "core"
-
S.
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vii.
services for a period of 90 days after arrival. Additional
or "optional" services which continue or expand assistance
to refugees may be provided from any unexpended per capita
grant funds or other agency resources.
The following sections of this document describe
how individual voluntary agencies carry out their respon-
sibilities under the cooperative agreement with the Depart-
ment of State.
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES (ACVA)
All twelve resettlement agencies are members of the
American Council oDI_NDluntary Agencies for Foreign Service.
ACVA was founded in 1943 by a group of United States private
voluntary organizations wishing to enhance their effective-
ness in relief, rehabilitation and refugee assistance
overseas. There are currently 43 member agencies and 4
cooperating-tri:VETing) agencies.
Structurally, ACVA is a confederation of autonomous
agencies which, through a process of consensus, work
together on matters of mutual concern. It provides a forum
which facilitates cooperation, joint consultation and
information exchange among member agencies. Other functions
include acting as a liaison between member organizations
and government bodies and other national and internation
organizations, and providing information to the public'
regarding member organizations' activities. The basic
operating budget of ACVA is financed by member organiza-
tions through a system of graduated fees based_
ffimarily
on the level of an a ency's overseas program expenditures
an e n er of commit ees in w ic i par icipa es.
ACVA itself does not maintain overseas programs, nor does
A-fund the programs of its member agencies or of any
other organizatim.
ACVA maintains three standing committees: The Committee
on. Migration and Refugee Affairs, the Committee on Material
Resources and the Committee on Development Assistance.
COMMITTEE ON MIGRATION AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS
The member agencies of the Committee on Migration
and Refugee Affairs have roots deep in the history of
American immigration. Many have traditional ties to ethnic,
religious or community groups, although their current
service is to all. In addition, the agencies have a wide
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variety of contacts and networks in all segments of American
society as well as overseas, with the aim of a speedy
and flexible response to refugee emergencies. Since World
War II, they have been involved in all major refugee
crises and have helped create a nation-wide refugee
resettlement network.
The Committee serves as a forum for discussion of
refugee resettlement and migration issues of concern
to member agencies on a national level. The Committee
is also responsible for the operation of twa_diatinct
units: The Refugee Data Center and the Refugee Resource
Center.
Refugee Data Center
The Re.flIgee Data Center was organized in 1q77_
with funding provided by the Department of State. Origi-
nally charged with compiling data and providing statistical
information on Southeast Asian refugees scheduled to
come to the United States, the Center's operations have
expanded to include data collection on refugees coming
from Africa, the Near East and Europe. It is anticipated
that certain segments of the Latin American refugee program
will also be added to the Data Center information base.
In the processing of refugees for movement from
countries of first asylum to the United States, the Data
Center serves as a link between the JVAR and the refugees
overseas, and voluntary agencies and sponsors in this
country. Reunification requests are also recorded at
the Data Center. The Center matches incoming case files
with its record of requests and-distributes the case
to the a..ropriate agency at an allocations meeting.,a12?-1_
the a , e enter telexes
the JV A' and tracks e re ugee so:ress till his arrival
in his new community.
The Center produces regular reports on the numbers
of refugees allocated, assured and arrived by agency,
and special reports at the request of various government
bodies. The center has also been charged with maintaining
accurate statisticg-b-f-dil dependants in a refugee case,
and or the ESL level of those who have completed the
ESL training in camps overseas.
ie Center operates as an independent unit under
the auspiaee of the International Catholic Migration
Commission and is directly responsible to the Committee
on Migration and Refueee Affairs.
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ix.
Refugee Resource Center
The Refugee Resource Center was developed in 1980
under a federal grant to the Committee on Migration and
Refugee Affairs. Current fundin is rovided under grants
from the U.S. Depar ments o ealt and Human ervices
and State.
The major objectives of the Refugee Resource
Center are to:
Provide information and interpretation on
refugee resettlement as carried out by the
private sector, to the general public;
Assist in developing communication
networks between the voluntary resettlement
agencies and other participants in the re-
settlement program, including Federal,-state and
local governments, mutual assistance associa-
tions, and other service providers;
Facilitate coordination among the national
resettlement agencies in order to enhance
their collective capacity to cooperate with
other public and private participants in the
resettlement program.
Regional conferences--bringing together all of the
actors in resettlement in a given area of the country--
are held in order to foster the development of regional
coordination and cooperation.
The Center also facilitates bi-annual meetings
between the resettlement agencies and state refugee-
coordinators to discuss areas of mutual concern and to '
develop better understanding of the respective roles
of state coordinators and the voluntary agencies.
Under its function of research, analysis and data
collection, the Center produces and distributes periodic
mailings, such as information on resettlement processing,
descriptions of resettlement programs, and reports of the
activities of other agencies involved in resettlement.
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