Office Of Refugee Resettlement: Policy Guidance & Reporting Forms

Annual ORR Reports to Congress - 2000

I. Refugee Resettlement Program

Admissions

To be admitted to the United States, refugees must be determined by an officer of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to meet the definition of refugee as defined in the Refugee Act of 1980. They also must be determined to be of special humanitarian concern to the U.S., be admissible under U.S. law, and not be firmly resettled in another country. Special humanitarian concern generally applies to refugees with relatives residing in the U.S., refugees whose status as refugees has occurred as a result of their association with the U.S., and refugees who have a close tie to the U.S. because of education here or employment by the U.S. government. In addition, the U.S. admits a share of refugees determined by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to be in need of resettlement in a third country outside the region from which they have fled.

The ceiling for the number of refugees to be admitted each year is determined by the President after consultation between the Executive Branch and the Congress. The President has authority to respond beyond the ceiling in cases of emergencies. The table at right shows the arrivals and ceilings in FY’s 1983-2000.

For FY 2000 the President determined the refugee ceiling at 90,000, including 5,000 unfunded slots that remained unfilled unless other funds became available. During the fiscal year, 71,540 refugees and 979 Amerasians were admitted to the U.S. In addition, 17,871 Cuban and 1,570 Haitian entrants were admitted to the U.S.

Ceilings and Admissions (1983 to 2000)

Year	Ceiling	Admissions	% of Ceiling

2000	90,000	72,519	80.5
1999	91,000	85,014	93.4
1998	83,000	76,750	92.5
1997	78,000	76,456	98.0
1996	90,000	75,755	84.1
1995	112,000	99,553	88.8
1994	121,000	112,065	92.6
1993	132,000	119,050	90.2
1992	142,000	131,749	92.8
1991	131,000	113,980	87.0
1990	125,000	122,935	98.3
1989	116,500	106,932	91.8
1988	60,500	76,930	127.2
1987	70,000	58,863	84.1
1986	67,000	60,559	90.4
1985	70,000	67,166	96.0
1984	72,000	70,604	98.1
1983	90,000	60,040	66.7

Source: Reallocated ceilings from Department of State (except for FY 1989 in which the reallocated ceiling was revised from 94,000 to 116,500). Admissions based on ORR data system, which commenced in 1983. Data on arrivals not available prior to the establishment of the refugee database in 1983. Does include entrants.

Refugees from the successor republics of Yugoslavia composed the largest admission group (22,548), followed by arrivals from Cuba (17,871), the successor republics of the Soviet Union (14,576), Somalia (6,022), and Iran (5,099).

Comparing the countries of origin of arrivals in FY 2000 with those of a decade earlier illustrates the wide swings and abrupt reversals that affect the refugee program. Yugoslavia sent only six refugees to the U.S. in FY 1990 and Somalia 33. Arrivals from the U.S.S.R., on the other hand, reached almost 50,000 then (see chart), but have dwindled since, as have arrivals from Vietnam which have fallen by 90 percent. FY 2000 arrivals from Laos, Romania, and Cambodia totaled only 68; a decade earlier, these three countries accounted for almost 16,000 admissions.

Florida received the largest number of arrivals (20,560), followed by California (9,645), New York (6,948), Washington (4,378), and Texas (4,354). Unlike countries of origin, the States of initial resettlement vary little from year to year. The only notable difference from a decade earlier is Florida’s rise to the top spot—due entirely to a sustained increase in entrants under the bilateral agreement (discussed below).

Amerasians

The admission numbers for refugees included in this chapter include individuals admitted under the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988. Amerasians are children born in Vietnam to Vietnamese mothers and American fathers and are admitted as immigrants, rather than refugees; however, these youths and their immediate relatives are entitled to the same ORR-funded services and benefits. Since FY 1988, over 75,000 Vietnamese have been admitted to the U.S. under this provision. In the peak year for this population (1992), over 17,000 youths and family members arrived in the U.S. In FY 2000 they numbered only 979.

The Population Profile section and associated tables in Appendix A of this report provide refugee, Amerasian, and entrant arrival numbers by country of origin and State of initial resettlement for the period FY 1983 through FY 2000.

Cuban and Haitian Entrants

Congress created the Cuban/Haitian Entrant Program under Title V of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980. The law provides for a program of reimbursement to participating States for cash and medical assistance to Cuban and Haitian entrants under the same conditions and to the same extent as such assistance and services for refugees under the refugee program. The first recipients of the new program were the approximately 125,000 Cubans who fled the Castro regime in the Mariel boatlift of 1980.

By law, an entrant—for the purposes of ORR-funded benefits—is a Cuban or Haitian national who is (a) paroled into the U.S., (b) subject to exclusion or deportation proceedings, or (c) an applicant for asylum.

Under the terms of a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Cuba, up to 20,000 Cuban immigrants are allowed to enter the U.S. directly from Cuba. These individuals are known as Havana Parolees and are eligible for ORR-funded benefits and services in States that serve entrants.

Entry Arrivals, FY 1991 to FY 2000

		Cuba	Haiti	Total

2000	17,871		1,570	19,441
1999		20,728	1,270	20,848
1998		13,492	590	13,551
1997		5,284	42	5,326
1996		16,985	346	17,331
1995		31,195	1,035	32,238
1994		12,785	1,579	14,364
1993		3,452	700	4,152
1992		2,539	10,385	12,924
1991		696	395	1,091

Does not include Cuban and Haitian arrivals with refugee status.

In FY 2000, 19,441 Cuban and Haitian entrants arrived in the U.S. Eighty-three percent initially resettled in Florida. The above table describes the flow of entrants since FY 1991.

Asylees

On June 14, 2000 ORR published State Letter 00-12, which revised its policy on program eligibility for persons granted asylum. Section 412(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides a refugee with benefits beginning with the first month in which the refugee has entered the U.S. In the past, an asylee’s arrival date in the U.S. was considered his entry date for the purposes of program eligibility. The months of eligibility for assistance (currently eight) would then begin on this date. This date could precede by months or even years the date that the individual applied for asylum. Because of the time it normally takes for an individual to apply for asylum and to proceed through the INS adjudication process, this interpretation of “entry” prohibited even individuals who applied for asylum immediately upon arrival from accessing refugee cash assistance and refugee medical assistance. In 1996 Congress revised Federal welfare programs to use date of admission rather than date of physical entry as the important issue in determining an alien’s legal status. Accordingly, ORR now uses the date that asylum is granted as the initial date of eligibility for ORR-funded services and benefits.

Reception and Placement

Most of the persons eligible for ORR's refugee program benefits and services are refugees resettled through the Department of State's refugee allocation system under the annual ceiling for refugee admissions. Upon arrival, refugees are provided initial services through a program of grants, called cooperative agreements, made by the Department of State to qualifying agencies. In FY 2000 the following agencies participated: Church World Service, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Ethiopian Community Development Council, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Iowa Refugee Service Center, International Rescue Committee, Immigration and Refugee Services of America, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, United States Catholic Conference, and World Relief.

These grantee agencies are responsible to provide initial "nesting" services covering basic food, clothing, shelter, orientation, and referral for the first 30 days. In FY 2000, the agencies received a per capita amount of $740 from the State Department for this purpose. After this period, refugees who still need assistance are eligible for cash and medical benefits provided under ORR's program of domestic assistance.

ORR Assistance and Services

All persons admitted as refugees or granted asylum while in the U.S. are eligible for refugee benefits described in this report. Certain other persons admitted to the U.S. under other immigration categories are also eligible for refugee benefits. Amerasians from Vietnam and their accompanying family members, though admitted to the U.S. as immigrants, are entitled to the same social services and assistance benefits as refugees. Certain nationals of Cuba and Haiti, such as public interest parolees and asylum applicants, may also receive benefits in the same manner and to the same extent as refugees if they reside in a State with an approved Cuban/Haitian Entrant Program.

Domestic Resettlement Program

Refugee Appropriations

In FY 2000, the refugee and entrant assistance program was funded under the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Act. In addition to this appropriation of $426.2 million, Congress gave ORR permission to spend prior year unexpended funds. At the end of the year, $15.2 million in FY 2000 appropriated funds remained unobligated.

The domestic refugee program consists of three separate resettlement approaches: (1) the State-administered program, (2) the Wilson/Fish program, and (3) the Matching Grant program.

State - Administered Program

· Overview

Federal resettlement assistance to refugees is provided primarily through the State‑administered refugee resettlement program. States provide transitional cash and medical assistance and social services to refugees, as well as maintain legal responsibility for the care of unaccompanied refugee children.

· Cash and Medical Assistance

Refugees generally enter the U.S. without income or assets with which to support themselves during their first few months here. Families with children under age 18 are generally eligible for support from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Refugees who are aged, blind, and disabled may receive assistance from the federally administered Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Refugees eligible for these two programs are generally eligible for the Medicaid program which provides medical assistance to low-income individuals and families.

Refugees who meet the income and resource eligibility standards of these two cash assistance programs but are not otherwise eligible—such as single individuals, childless couples, and two-parent families in certain States with restrictive TANF programs—may receive benefits under the special Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) programs. Eligibility for these special programs is restricted to their first eight months in the U.S. except for asylees, for whom the eligibility period begins with the month that asylum is granted.

In FY 2000, ORR obligated $146.3 million in current year funds and $25 million in prior year funds to reimburse States for their full costs for the RCA and RMA programs and associated State administrative costs. Cash and medical assistance allocations for each State are presented in the table on pages 10 and 11.

· Social Services

ORR provides funding for a broad range of social services to refugees, both through States and in some cases through direct service grants. With these funds, States provide intensive services to help refugees obtain employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency and social adjustment as quickly as possible. After deducting set-asides mandated by Congress, ORR, as in previous fiscal years, allocated 85 percent ($72.2 million) of the remaining social service funds on a formula basis. ORR supplemented its FY 2000 formula award with a $15.5 million in unexpended prior year funds for a special social service set-aside. With these funds, States provided (1) outreach and referral services to ensure access for eligible refugees to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and other programs for low-income working populations, and (2) specialized interpreter training and the hiring of interpreters to ensure refugees equal access to medical and legal services.

Altogether, through both current year appropriations and prior year funds, ORR obligated $87.7 million for formula social services. Program obligations varied according to each State’s proportion of total refugee arrivals during the previous three fiscal years. States with small refugee populations received a minimum of $75,000 in social service funds. Of total social service funds, ORR obligated $85.2 million to States under the State-administered program and the remainder to other agencies through privately administered Wilson/ Fish and other alternative programs. For both programs, social services are provided only to refugees who have resided in the U.S. for fewer than 60 months.

In addition to these funds, ORR obligated social service funds to a variety of discretionary programs. A discussion of these discretionary awards may be found beginning on page 26.

Targeted Assistance Allocations by County, FY 2000
Maricopa	AZ	$1,211,318
Fresno	CA	212,727
Los Angeles	CA	1,659,084
Orange	CA	992,806
Sacramento	CA	1,376,117
San Diego	CA	910,643
San Francisco	CA	750,212
Santa Clara Yolo	CA CA	992,334 159,250
Denver	CO	364,895
Dist. of Columbia	DC	431,475
Broward Dade Duval	FL FL FL	412,941 8,597,986 508,916
Hillsborough	FL	406,330
DeKalb Fulton	GA GA	935,315 648,570
Cook/Kane	IL	1,942,642
Polk Jefferson	IA KY	426,753 683,159
Hampden	MA	271,044
Suffolk Ingham	MA MI	519,069