Christopher Coen
Melissa Sogard
nancylee1
Friends of Refugees’ presented a list of recommendations to the National Security Council for President Obama’s comprehensive review of the U.S. refugee resettlement program (here).
Here are the specific recommendations for the VOLAGS and the refugee resettlement agencies:
- Must be prohibited from intimidating and frightening refugees who come forward to report neglect and/or abuse. The agencies must not be allowed to question refugees as to why they speak to community members (its none of the agencies business who refugees associate with under their constitutional ‘freedom of association’ right), must not be allowed to warn refugees not to speak to or let into their apartments members of the community who report refugees’ concerns, and must not frighten refugees with lies about these community members, e.g. “he will take your babies away from you”, e.g. refugees in Fargo claimed that LSSND staff, including the refugee director, said this about Christopher Coen). Refugees must never be re-victimized for reporting neglect and/or abuse.
- Must be required to respond politely, timely and in writing to any members of the community or watchdog groups who contact them regarding refugees’ concerns. Must take responsible and timely actions to address the concerns raised.
- Must immediately cease to misinform the public and the media regarding government funding, e.g. the State Department’s donation of seed money for resettlement (no, the government is not responsible for providing money for all of the refugees’ basic needs).
- Must report all government money accepted for refugee resettlement as well as all money raised from private sources (free, donated labor and in kind donations, often mislabeled as a “cost”, must be sub-totaled in the private source funding total). This information must be posted where the public may have easy access to it.
- Refugees must be given (not just shown) copies of the contents of their case files any time they ask, and without requirements such as explaining why they want the records (American clients do not have to give reasons. Why are refugees treated as second-class citizens in this regard?), or refusing to release these records because the resettlement agency does not approve of the refugee’s chosen advocate.
- Refugee resettlement agencies’ websites must list an email address for the director as well as other key staff members.
- Refugee caseworkers must be required to give their business card to each refugee case, listing their name, phone number, and hours they may be contacted. Voice mail messages left by refugees must be returned within 24 hours. An emergency after-hours phone number must also be listed.
- Must provide refugees with bullet point handouts that summarize all information told to them (refugees are not able to remember the avalanche of verbal information given to them). These handouts will preferable be written in English on one side and the refugees’ language on the reverse side, but be provided in English at the least so that volunteers and members of the community can help refugees understand what they were told by resettlement agencies).
- The VOLAGS must provide an action plan on how they will address the weaknesses of their resettlement efforts, and then post these on their websites for the public to view.
