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World Refugee Day - AMA

IamThunderbolt

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Today is World Refugee Day

Last year, I posted a fundraiser to help our local refugee resettlement office amidst turbulent times, and y'all responded incredibly. So, I wanted to let you know what we've been able to do over the last year and where we are (and kind of open up an AMA about US refugee resettlement as it stands today)

Nationally, the refugee cap has been reduced to 30,000 - the lowest in the history of the program. Unlike previous administrations who viewed the cap as also a resettlement goal, this administration sees it as an absolute ceiling and prefers to be well under the mark. For example, last year the cap was 45,000, but only resettled 22,491. Through the mid-year point of this fiscal year, the US had only resettled 40% of the determined allotment. Much of what is happening is a behind the scenes curtailing of resettlement, where there is no big announcement or policy shift, the administration just doesn't fund or do its job. Refugees who are cleared for resettlement wait for their final interview, but don't receive them because the administration is sending out fewer circuit rides that have fewer staff and fewer stops to conduct these final interviews.

While there have been fewer arrivals, we don't really serve that many fewer people. From 2016-2018, we have seen a 42% reduction in federal grant funds which is representative of a national trend in reduced funding for programs such as refugee resettlement. Despite this fact, during this time frame, we saw only a nominal reduction in the number of clients (we serve refugees, immigrants, and survivors of human trafficking) served in our programs (from 1166 to 1026) while serving clients in a deeper and more holistic manner than ever before.

We've been able to do that because our community (including folks on this board) have helped us shift more of our funding to private sources from public ones, although there is a long way to go. While we've been proactive in doing this, the changes in the program and funding are happening incredibly quickly.

A few of the things we've been able to do this year because of you:

- Started doing a mental health screening with every arriving refugee providing those who need it trauma-informed mental health services through both groups and individual counseling, which helps speed up integration into the community and helps with employment transition and prospects.

- Sent our Immigration Legal Services team to the the Mexican side of the border to counsel potential asylum seekers about the strength of their asylum claim, so they might make an informed decision about waiting for the backlog at a POE and risking detention needlessly.

- Started a Labor Trafficking Task Force in the Triad to work with civic organizations to recognize labor trafficking and appropriately handle the situation. We've seen an uptick in client referrals to receive case management to reintegrate those who have escape a trafficking scenario.

- Started a youth mentoring program to help refugee youth ages 16-24 navigate the educational system to prepare themselves to attend college or vocational school post high school. Being first generation immigrants, their parents do not know all that has to be done to reach the next level of education for their kids. We have been able to pair them with mentors and counselors to help with that process - this provide greater economic stability for future generations.



In order to continue to provide consistent service for the refugee and immigrant community in the Triad, our office is striving to become less dependent on the whims of the government for the source of its funding. As part of this effort, our office is trying to raise $30,000 and I'm committed to raising $1500 of that total by the end of June. Every bit from this fundraiser will go to directly impact arriving refugees and the existing refugee community in Winston-Salem and High Point. $10, $25, $50 would be huge in helping us meet our goal.

To help welcome refugees to the Triad through World Relief, please donate here:
https://fundraise.worldrelief.org/fundraiser/2127333

eta: You can check a box to make the donation anonymous

I've received a lot of support and encouragement for the work we do on the boards, and wanted to extend an invitation to contribute meaningfully to work that is being done for refugees locally.


If you have any questions about refugee resettlement in particular, or to a lesser extent (because the topic is so vast and ever-changing) immigration, please let me know!
 
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Of the many shitty things about this administration, the attitudes and actions toward refugees is one of the worst.

 
For data wonks, the Migration Policy Institute just released a great survey of demographic data and trends for refugees and asylees in the US for those that are interested:

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states

SPTRefugeesAsyleesFig1.png


SPTRefugeesAsyleesFig2.png


And Huge thank you to those who have donated and for the kind words
 
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My wife went to an art/craft show or display recently. We knew a few of the artists. She purchased a wooden cutting board for me for Father's day made by "TRÉ" woodworking.

From their "about" page:

Tré simply translates to wood in Old Norse. For millennia, wood has been recognized as an remarkable building material—naturally beautiful, warm, non-toxic, and sustainable.

Our primary goal at Tré is to create beautiful, functional woodworks. Our ever-evolving collection encompasses everything from beds to spoons, each commanding the same care and attention. We want our customers to cherish their pieces—objects that can be passed on from generation to generation.

Also central to our mission is the ability to provide training and meaningful employment to talented refugees. These individuals have so much unrecognized potential and skill to share with the world. We are proud to play a part in their journey—and to grow from our relationship with them.


The cutting board is beautiful. Would recommend.
 
My wife went to an art/craft show or display recently. We knew a few of the artists. She purchased a wooden cutting board for me for Father's day made by "TRÉ" woodworking.

From their "about" page:




The cutting board is beautiful. Would recommend.

Awesome. I love that company. They donated a cutting board and a mirror for a silent auction when we had our gala in March. Some awesome people.
 
I was going to ask about countries of origin. This is telling. As is this:

SPTRefugeesAsyleesFig6.png

That graph needs a little background as well. We've seen a 48% decline in Christian refugees, and a 90% decline in Muslim refugees over the last two years. A lot of it has to do with the "Muslim Ban," which has all but stopped refugee resettlement of certain nationalities (which come from predominantly Muslim countries and North Korea). There are still some Muslim Burmese that are arriving and a few here and there from other countries - even those from the "banned" countries due to SIVs (which enter through through the refugee program but come because they are unsafe in their home country due to service to the US - many of them have been interpreters for the US military, for example).

The other factor in the shift in religious demographics is that we rarely have "free cases," meaning cases without a US Tie (a family member already resettled in the US). with the lower number of arrivals, pretty much all of the arrivals are joining family. While it is somewhat different in other parts of the country, the largest communities that we have resettled in the Triad are predominantly Burmese (mainly Karen and Karenni), Congolese, and Nepali/Bhutanese. Therefore, most of the arrivals we see are from these populations, which tend to more often be Christian than other faiths.
 
I"ll bump this once and let it die. There's one week left in the fundraiser, and I only need to raise $318 more to reach my goal. To those who have already donated - y'all are amazing (including whoever donated with the name of "Fire Manning Now").

Also, I know that the border and the humanitarian crisis there is front and center - while I am closer to the refugee side of immigration than asylum seeking, if anyone has any process questions about our immigration system and what it looks like to seek asylum, we do work with asylum cases and I'll try to bring any insight you have to any questions.
 
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