Refugee Resettlement 101
Who are refugees?
Fact Sheet: U.S. Refugee Resettlement
National Immigration Forum
What is the USA Refugee Resettlement Process?
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
UNHCR created an explainer on the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program.
Who are Refugees and How Do They Arrive in the United States?: Switchboard created a toolkit designed as an onboarding resource for staff new to the field of refugee resettlement. It includes a video, reflection activity, a quiz, a glossary of terms, additional recommended resources, and more.
Tip Sheet: Who is a Refugee, Afghan Evacuee, and Asylum Seeker? This factsheet from Refugee Housing Solutions breaks down the definitions of refugee and asylum seeker under both international and U.S. law, as well as an overview of what it means to be an Afghan evacuee.
Debunking Major Myths About Immigrants’ Socioeconomic Status in the US : A new book by two economic historians disproves that by examining several of the most widely held myths about economic success and cultural integration among immigrants and their children.
What does it mean to be a refugee? What does it take to be resettled to the United States? What happens next when we welcome refugees in our communities? Learn more.
There’s also a recent piece from Poynter that explains why the complexities of immigration necessitate more nuanced language. (And why we should avoid using terms like “surge” and “flood” to describe humans.)
About Refugee Populations: Learn more about refugee populations resettling in the United States, including general information along with specific population backgrounders. Each backgrounder contains historical, political, and cultural information intended to cultivate a general understanding of specific refugee populations.
USA for UNHCR compiles fact sheets about refugee crises around the world. Recently they’ve broken down the crises in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan to better explain why people have been forced to flee and how others can help.
Rohingya Backgrounder, available in both an abbreviated web version and a more detailed, downloadable PDF. This backgrounder provides a brief exploration of the current crisis, language, social, and cultural characteristics, and considerations when delivering Cultural Orientation to Rohingya.
Understanding Newcomer Immigration Statuses: This video highlights the different humanitarian immigrant pathways that exist in the United States.
The Immigrant Learning Center has a page on their website where they collect immigration news. Check it out here.
Explainer: The Refugee Resettlement Backlog and How to Rebuild the Pipeline: This resource will explain why refugee resettlement has continued to crater despite President Biden dramatically increasing the admissions ceiling. It will describe the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and the backlogs at various stages of the pipeline. It will also discuss possible solutions to quickly rebuild the pipeline.
Learn more about how resettlement agencies work with the U.S. government.
US Resettlement Partners: Resettlement is a coordinated activity undertaken in partnership with UNHCR, U.S. government agencies, NGOs and other actors. It includes a variety of specific actions, from the identification of refugees in need of resettlement in the field to screening, processing and reception and integration of the refugees in the United States.
Understanding the Importance of Humanitarian Parole in the U.S. Immigration System: This new fact sheet from the American Immigration Council describes how parole works now and how changes would affect the immigration system.
USA Hello Guide for Being Stateless: Statelessness is a complex issue that affects millions of people around the world. Many people living in the United States do not even realize they are stateless. Learn what it means to be stateless and stateless people’s rights.
Statistics
Refugee Facts and Statistics
USA for UNHCR
2023 Map the Impact report, an interactive data-map showcasing the contributions of immigrants in the country, all 50 states, and industry sectors across the economy.
Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) recently published a report on language diversity throughout the state.
The Belonging Barometer: The State of Belonging in the US shows why belonging matters profoundly—for all of us, across all the areas of our lives. In addition to providing a clear way to measure belonging across a range of contexts, it offers important insights and resources that can help communities and individuals tackle this issue head-on.
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States offers up-to-date and authoritative data about the 45.3 million immigrants in the United States and current and historical U.S. immigration trends.
Dispelling the Myth: How Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes and Contribute to the US Tax Base: As Tax Day approaches, it is important to acknowledge the tax contributions made by immigrants. These contributions play a vital role in the funding and sustainability of America’s public services and programs.
A 16-page report from Upwardly Global documents Afghan newcomers’ contributions to the U.S. economy and society. Among other findings, the report highlights Afghan newcomers’ collective potential earning of $1.71 billion resulting in $227 million potential annual tax dollars. The report calls for legislative or administrative action to provide stability for over 36,000 Afghans in the U.S.
In 2019, immigrants made up 6.4 percent of Missouri's healthcare practitioners — including 23.7 percent of all physicians and surgeons — while making up 4.2 percent of the population. You can learn more about the contributions of immigrants in the healthcare industry in MO in this report from the American Immigration Council.
A recent report by the Biden administration’s top economic advisers says that boosting immigration and public spending on childcare, among other suggestions, could help reduce or prevent oncoming harm to the country’s economic growth.
For generations across the United States, Black immigrants have enriched our academics, music, cuisine, fashion, dance, and more. But Black immigrants also play an increasingly important role in our economy and political landscape.
Immigrants Help Fund Our Public Programs: Over the next 30 years, immigrants will pay more in taxes than they will consume in benefits, a new study from the Cato Institute found.
Five Takeaways from the 2022 UNHCR Global Trends Report: Global forced displacement is at an all-time high, with the number of forcibly displaced people doubling over the past decade. Today, the global figure exceeds 110 million people forced to flee from persecution, conflict, violence and human rights violations.
In honor of Immigrant Heritage Month, this interactive map from the American Immigration Council breaks down the contributions of immigrants as workers, business owners, taxpayers, and neighbors—and how they are an integral part of the United States’ diverse and thriving communities and make extensive contributions that benefit everyone.
In a new report from the American Immigration Council, “Starting Anew: The Economic Impact of Refugees in America,” they analyze how a pool of over 2 million recent refugees are contributing to the U.S. economy.
On World Refugee Day, visualiz
ing the flow of 35 million refugees: This collection of stories and infographics depicts the journeys of refugees all over the world.
How will climate change force us to rethink attitudes to mass migration? As the climate crisis renders tracts of lands uninhabitable, even more people will be forced to find new homes.
Six Key Findings About New Americans and Food Insecurity: Structural inequalities, transit limitations, and a lack of affordable, culturally appropriate produce in refugees’ new communities (often designated “food deserts”) can all negatively contribute to this population’s food access and dietary intake. This blog post shares findings that can help inform your own food security work with newcomer clients.
Fostering Welcoming Communities
How — and why — we should center migrants in diversity and inclusion efforts: Migrant communities face unique barriers, necessitating intentional effort to welcome and include them in government programs. A growing number of local governments are shifting their approach to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) by integrating immigrant inclusion in their initiatives. Many Certified Welcoming communities have implemented changes to make welcoming and inclusion a reality in their cities. Read more
The Lab and Refugee Congress released a guide sharing advice from displaced leaders on how to best frame the many economic contributions they make while not losing sight of the rights and dignity of people seeking safety.
Members of the Refugee Storytellers Collective hosted “What It Means To Welcome: Refugee Perspectives.” During this webinar, Pierre Uwimana, Isabel Kayembe, Khalil A. Arab, and Bahati Kanyamanza shared reflections from their experiences finding belonging in their new communities and provided advice to everyday Americans on welcoming newcomers.
Uplifting and Celebrating the Diversity of Rural Communities: The power of stories can be an important tool for building welcoming communities. We partnered with Welcoming Network member Arts Midwest to discuss ways to create the conditions for our diverse communities to share their stories, engage individuals and institutions in welcoming work, and plan for and execute successful Welcoming Week events in your community. Read more
What does welcoming look like? Welcome Corps is proud to introduce you to Shadi, who comes from Syria, and Brendan Work, his friend and supporter: a newcomer and a Welcomer sharing their story of welcome.
Discussing the Refugee Experience with Dignity and Resilience: In this blog, Salome Mwangi, the former coordinator of the Refugee Speakers Bureau at the Idaho Office for Refugees and a former refugee from Kenya, worked with Switchboard to share her insights on storytelling about the refugee experience.
Best Practices for Framing Economic Contributions: Advice from Refugee Leaders to Advance Inclusive Narratives: This guide from the Refugee Advocacy Lab and Refugee Congress highlights best practices for framing the economic contributions refugees and displaced people make across the United States. This guide includes advice from displaced leaders on how to use the economic narrative in a way that uplifts the many experiences of people seeking safety and the diverse ways they make U.S. communities and economies stronger—while not losing sight of their rights and dignity
Q&A: What does World Refugee Day mean to refugees? Around the world, refugees are calling to have a greater voice in defining the stories that are told about their experiences, and in shaping the policies that affect their lives.
Five ways communities can help refugees and other newcomers.
Welcoming States, Welcoming Refugees: This guide from the Refugee Advocacy Lab and the International Rescue Committee shares best practices, sample policies, advocacy checklists, ideas for political and partnership mapping, and strategic guidance that is nuanced for varying political realities across the country.
Advancing a Welcoming Infrastructure for Humanitarian Relief: In this new guide, Welcoming America and the Welcoming International Alliance outline five ways for local leaders to create equitable and welcoming environments as part of the response to humanitarian relief.
Five ways to have better conversations about immigration from Greater Good Magazine, and this article from Vox comparing the support available to asylum seekers at the Southern border and to Afghan evacuees.
The National Immigration Forum released new resources on the Great Replacement Theory’s origins, its presence in the immigration debate, and how to combat it.
Welcoming America’s Fostering Belonging Individually and Structurally webinar series is available to view. The three-part series begins with Belonging as the Antidote to Othering, continues with Interpersonal Othering and Belonging and finishes with Structural Othering and Belonging. Part 2 features our very own Kara Gebre from RAISE. Check it out here.
We’re Welcoming Refugees! A How-To Guide for Talking to Your Neighbors About Refugees: Highlights the different ways in which you can help your friends, family and neighbors learn more about refugees as the United States begins to restore welcome.
What Works to Build Welcoming and Inclusive Communities?, from Switchboard TA, assesses the evidence surrounding the available interventions for building inclusive communities. It examines contact-based interventions, bystander interventions, and youth-focused interventions. It also includes implications for practice and research.
Engaging Public-Sector Stakeholders to Prepare for Welcoming More Refugees: Switchboard’s new information guide explores strategies for meaningfully re-engaging public-sector stakeholders, whether you are looking to collaborate with public schools, public health departments, or other public actors. To stream the accompanying webinar recording, click here.