The Iraqi refugees now moving to Portland have endured violence, a fear of persecution in their homeland and a complex international legal process to leave behind their old lives and make their way to a new home.
The war in Iraq and the subsequent breakdown in civil authority spawned a multitude of rival militias, all carrying out religious and ethnic violence.
The United Nations estimates that about 2 million Iraqis have fled the country. Many sought sanctuary in the nations that surround Iraq, including Syria, Jordan and Iran.
There, they can apply for designation as a refugee by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, which gives them certain protections in the host country, including that they will not be forced to return to their home country.
Refugees either return to their home nation as conditions improve, or integrate into their host country. If neither option is available, they can be resettled in a third country, such as the United States.
Before the U.S. accepts a person for settlement, nonprofit agencies collect information about their background and issues they faced in their home country – data that is analyzed by a number of U.S. government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The refugees also must undergo a security check and health screening.
The U.S. accepted 60,192 refugees last year, 13,823 of whom were from Iraq.
From 1990 to 2006, about 33,000 Iraqi refugees settled in this country, with the largest resettlements in Michigan, California and Texas.
The U.S. plans to accept a minimum of 17,000 Iraqis this year.
There is a separate process by which up to 10,000 Iraqis who fear persecution because they worked with U.S. forces can apply to enter this country.
When refugees apply for resettlement, they do not choose which country they are sent to, but can express a preference. The U.S. typically has less generous benefits than many other countries, but better work opportunities, U.S. officials say.
The International Organization for Migration arranges transportation to the new home country, though refugees are expected to repay the costs once they are settled.
Where a refugee is settled in the U.S. is decided by a group of agencies hired by the federal government. There are nine private nonprofit agencies and a state agency that serves Iowa. One of those agencies is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is affiliated with Catholic Charities Maine.
The U.S. Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration pays the resettlement programs to apportion the refugees to different communities based on the capacity of those communities to absorb and assist them. The agencies gauge the availability of translators, educational programs, medical facilities, housing and jobs.
The federal government's only requirement is that refugees who have family in this country be settled near them.
The agencies receive $900 per refugee, about half of which must directly benefit the refugee. The agencies typically raise money independently to support their mission, and also rely on volunteers.
In recent years, there have been roughly 100 refugees resettled in the Portland area annually, most coming from Somalia or Sudan. Most of the refugees seeking to move here had relatives living in the area, but the number of family reunification refugees is declining, said Arian Giantris, director of Refugee and Immigration Services for Catholic Charities.
Refugees that come directly to the U.S. are entitled to certain federal benefits while in their host community, such as case management and housing assistance, and direct refugee assistance funds for up to eight months. The resettlement agencies help get them settled, first meeting them at the airport and helping them get a mandatory medical checkup.
The agencies lead them to an apartment set up for them. Case managers also help the...
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