Bhutanese Refugee Crisis : What Is The US Proposal?
The US proposal of resettling the Bhutanese refugees in different countries is said to have created confusion to many a people due to lack of concise information. So an attempt has been made to study it in the following synopsis of the proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007: Report to the Congress submitted on behalf of the President of the United States to the Committees on the Judiciary, United States Senate, and United States House of Representatives.
Annual meeting
In July of last year, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Programme held its fourth annual public meeting. Many thoughtful ideas were presented, which the administration is considering. They include the expanded use of Targeted Response Teams to investigate resettlement needs and opportunities in various locales around the world; expansion of processing priorities; and changes in the handling of unaccompanied minors.
The US has a long tradition of providing resettlement to the refugees of different countries, working in coordination with the UNHCR. The United States has supported UNHCR's efforts to expand the number of countries active in resettlement and has also engaged bilaterally on the issue. In 2006, altogether 23 countries were referred to by the UNHCR for resettlement. Of these, 89% was referred to the United States, Canada and Australia. Similarly, a small number of refugees were assimilated in New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. In addition, Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany also resettled some refugees.
There are certain criteria that the refugees should fulfil to be qualified for admission to the US.
* Meet the definition of "refugee" contained in the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act in INA ? 101(a)(42);
* Be among those refugees determined by the President to be of special humanitarian concern to the United States;
* Subject to certain statutory exceptions and waivers, be otherwise admissible under the INA; and
* Not be firmly resettled in any foreign country.
Worldwide Priority System for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007
Priority 1: Individual Referrals
The refugees falling under Priority 1 should have compelling protection needs or those for whom no other durable solution exists. This processing priority is available to persons of any nationality.
Priority 2: Group Referrals
Priority 2 is used for groups of special humanitarian concern to the United States designated for resettlement processing. It includes specific groups identified by the Department of State in consultation with the USCIS, NGOs, UNHCR and other experts. Bhutanese refugees fall under this group.
Priority 3: Family Reunification Cases
In FY 2007, Priority 3 eligibility for a refugee interview has been extended to nationals of 17 countries who are spouses, unmarried children under 21, or parents of persons admitted to the United States as refugees or granted asylum, or persons who are lawful permanent residents or U.S. citizens and were initially admitted to the United States as refugees or granted asylum.
The refugees are likely to avail themselves with employment opportunities upon their admissions in the US. They may be provided the status of lawful permanent resident after one year. After five years, a person with the status of lawful permanent resident can apply for a citizenship.
The refugees shall be provided transportation cost by the Department of State which makes funds available through a programme administered by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). However, the refugees are provided the cost of transportation in the form of a loan. These costs are to be paid over time, beginning six months after the refugees' arrival.
The initial resettlement services are funded by the Department of Population, Refugees and Migration in cooperation with 10 organisations, including nine private voluntary agencies and one state government agency. The reception and core services, including housing, furnishings, clothing, food and medical referrals shall be initiated by the Reception and Placement (R&P) agencies. These services are now provided according to the standards of care developed jointly by the NGO community and U.S. Government agencies in FY 2001, and implemented in FY 2002. The 10 organisations maintain a nationwide network of over 370 affiliated offices to provide services.
The R&P agreement obligates the participating agencies to provide the services like sponsorship; pre-arrival resettlement planning, including placement; reception on arrival; basic needs support for at least 30 days; community orientation; referrals to health, employment and other services as needed; and case management and tracking for 90-180 days.
The programme works towards making the resettled refugees economically sound as soon as possible. Upon the arrival of the refugees in the US, the immediate steps would be taken to aid them by different agencies and sponsor groups.
Monitoring aspect
Eventually, the Department of State works to monitor if the agencies participating in the R&P have been able to provide services according to established standards. When combined with the linguistic diversity, wide-ranging educational and employment histories of the refugee population, and a shortage of available affordable housing particularly in the urban areas, resettlement agencies have had to adjust their practices to meeting the increasing needs of refugees in the programme.
Under the authority in the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, the United States contributes to the programmes of the office of the UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international and non-governmental organizations that provide protection and assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons and victims of conflict.
These contributions address the legal and physical protection needs of refugees as well as their basic assistance needs for water, sanitation, food, health care, shelter, education and other services. The United States monitors these programs to ensure the most effective use of resources, maximising humanitarian impact for the benefit of the refugees and internally displaced persons.