Due to humanitarian concerns, many refugees who have fled their home country have looked to the United States for aid, hoping to provide a better life for themselves and their families.
The United States Refugee Admissions Program stated that since the enactment of the 1980 Refugee Act, the United States has admitted more than “3.1 million refugees” into the country.
In Allegheny County alone, more than 1,000 refugees have been relocated by four refugee agencies, including ‘Hello, Neighbor’ since October 2022. In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decrease in the number of refugees entering the county, along with relocation efforts.
According to a report from 90.5 WESA’s website, roughly 800 refugees are relocated from Afghanistan, with “at least 166 refugees” being from Ukraine.
Although it sounds easy to seek refugee elsewhere, the process of being classified as a refugee is more strenuous within the United States, with those seeking aid needing to go through multiple application stages before being allowed to reside within the country.
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website, a refugee is considered to be someone who resides outside of the United States and is a victim of “persecuted or, fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.”
A refugee does not include someone who has been “ordered, incited, assisted” or has participated in the acts of persecuting others on the accounts of race, religion, etc.
To begin the process of seeking refuge, one must receive a referral to the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for consideration, which will then lead to the application process.
Once the application has been filed, the individual seeking refugee status will be interviewed by a USCIS officer who will then determine eligibility for refugee resettlement.
Eligibility status is determined on a case-by-case basis. Interviews that are conducted by USCIS officers are non-adversarial and are “designed to obtain information about an individual’s refugee claim and eligibility for resettlement,” according to the USCIS webpage.
The website also states that resettlement cases can include a refugee’s “spouse, child (unmarried and under 21 years of age), and in some limited circumstances, other family members,” along with same-sex spouses with the provision of legal marriage documents.
If a case showcases resettlement for more than one member, a I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition would need to be filled two years prior to arriving in the United States unless there are humanitarian reasons that determine the need for filing.
Once the application is approved, a medical exam, cultural orientation, aid for travel, and a loan are administered. Following this, the individual(s) seeking refugee will legally be allowed to enter the United States.
