Christopher Coen
Melissa Sogard
nancylee1
U.S. State Department announces doubling of funding for refugee resettlement agencies
Posted by Christopher Coen on January 26, 2010
The Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, Eric Schwartz, has written a letter to announce a doubling of the State Department’s contribution of funding for the Refugee Resettlement Program (first 30-90 days only).
See letter below.
Our group was never asked to put in any input into this increased funding decision. We have contacted other community groups who have been critical of of the government oversight agencies, particularly the State Department and the refugee resettlement agencies, and none of them were invited to be part of the process either. Were only those refugee advocates with vested interests, who were to be the recipients of the increased funding, included in the process?
Which Congressional staff members were consulted? What promises have the State Department and resettlement agencies made to Congress for improving the program in exchange for this substantial increase in funding?
United States Department of State
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Washington, D.C. 20520
January 25, 2010
Doing Right by Newly Arriving Refugees
Dear Colleagues:
Right now, it is difficult for humanitarians to focus on much more than the devastation in Haiti, and our Bureau is working closely with USAID and others on the effort to provide life-sustaining assistance to the affected population. At the same time, a broad array of humanitarian programs supported by the U.S. Government continue to provide critical aid to populations around the world, and I wanted to take a moment to offer important news about one such effort: the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
When I took the job as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration in July, it was with a keen awareness of Secretary Clinton’s commitment to elevate U.S. efforts to address refugee issues, and my own responsibilities as the new steward of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Every year, the United States provides resettlement opportunities to thousands of the world’s most vulnerable refugees, in a program endorsed by the President (and every President since 1980) through an annual determination. This program, which resettled nearly 75,000 refugees in the United States in 2009, reflects our own tradition as a nation of immigrants and refugees. It is an important, enduring and ongoing expression of our commitment to international humanitarian principles. The program also imposes upon us a solemn responsibility to address effectively the basic needs of refugees during their first days in our country. And while we cannot guarantee their success, we must provide sufficient support to ensure refugees are able to get on their feet during their first weeks and months here – and move quickly toward becoming independent, productive members of their new communities.
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- A Sudanese refugee family arrives at the airport. UNHCR Photo
A Sudanese refugee family arrives at the airport. UNHCR Photo
In light of our critical obligations on these issues, PRM will increase the Reception and Placement per capita grant from $900 to $1,800, which will be effective as of January 1, 2010. This is intended to address challenges refugees face in their first 30-90 days in the United States. It will directly benefit refugees and the network of local non-profit affiliates that serve them. This would not have been possible without the generous support of Congress, which has been steadfast in its endorsement of the USRAP, as well as support from the National Security Council and others in the Administration.
Refugee children in their new school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Photo courtesy of UNHCR
The bulk of the increase, at least $1,100, will be designated for direct support of refugees – so that in the first weeks after their arrival, they have a roof over their heads, a clean bed in which to sleep and basic assistance. Affiliates providing aid to refugees will have some flexibility in how those funds are allocated, and will also be able to use up to $700 per capita to meet costs related to management of this program. This $700 figure — about a 50% increase over the current management ceiling — should address the need to lower client-to-staff ratios, support positions to coordinate volunteers or develop private resources for Reception and Placement, or otherwise improve the quality of Reception and Placement services received by refugees.
While a critical component of overall program improvements, this funding increase is only part of the answer. As many of you know, the White House is leading a comprehensive review of the refugee resettlement program, and PRM will remain deeply engaged in this effort.
Many thanks, and kind regards,
Eric Schwartz
Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration
To learn more about PRM’s programs and activities, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/g/prm/index.htm
A Sudanese refugee family arrives at the airport. UNHCR Photo
Photo courtesy of UNHCR
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