Friends of Refugees

A U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program Watchdog Group

Archive for the ‘democracy’ Category

Comment submitted for today’s State Department hearing on size & scope of refugee program

Posted by Christopher Coen on May 1, 2012

Below is a comment that a regular reader of this blog submitted for today’s State Department public hearing on the size and scope of the refugee program for fiscal year 2013:

I am a private citizen refugee advocate who has been assisting refugees with resettlement issues for the past three years. My comments are based on my experience helping refugees after they arrive in the United States with two exceptions: (1) It shouldn’t be as hard as it appears to be logistically for refugees to go through the process to enter the U.S. . By that I mean, not that each individual shouldn’t be scrutinized in detail, but that the process should entail the least travel through dangerous areas in their home countries, the fewest return trips to an application center, the most feedback about application status, the fewest repeat requests for information, and the speediest answer about whether refugee status will be granted. (2) The travel loan program should be converted to a travel grant program. There seems to be some sort of philosophy that it is citizen-building to saddle a refugee with debt as his/her first exposure to life in the United States. I disagree…It is regularly and repeatedly emphasized to them that failure to repay the travel loan can jeopardize their ability to get U.S. citizenship because of an adverse credit report – yet they are all too often given no information about how to seek forgiveness of a loan many of them will likely never be able to repay in time because of their personal situations. Furthermore, I think having the resettlement agencies act as collection agents for these loans is a significant conflict of interest…

My remaining comments concern my experience during the course of my activities as a refugee advocate…Resettlement agency failures to meet contracted responsibilities are not isolated incidences but are regular, daily occurrences on a widespread basis. I believe these failures occur not because of lack of resources, although that is surely true in some cases, but primarily because of a lack of leadership. Leadership in the local affiliates, leadership in the national offices of resettlement agencies, and leadership in the Domestic Resettlement Section. The failure of leadership that talks to each other more than to refugees. Leadership that cares more about what Washington thinks than what refugees think…I have encountered exactly two offices serving refugees in which a human actually answered the telephone; my experience instead has been full of voice mail not returned and even voice mail boxes completely full – this by agencies who are serving people who may not even have used a telephone before coming to the U.S. Leadership, such as that at World Relief, who cares more about its employees’ religious qualifications than their actual competence. Leadership that does not put enough of its own cash into a resettlement program but instead phonies up the value of its match (the value of which, I believe, is rarely, if ever, audited…English language instruction, crucial, of course, for new arrivals, is regularly inadequate and irrelevant to what a new arrival needs. Referrals for mental health services are regularly inadequate or nonexistent. Housing placements are regularly in dangerous neighborhoods and/or too expensive for the refugee to sustain after financial support stops. Too often refugees are completely abandoned after the initial six months placement…Too often the minimum contractually-required services are not adequately provided or not provided at all. Too often refugees become homeless…There are few people in responsible positions who have the personal and professional competence to install effective programs, who care whether their subcontractors perform well, who care whether their employees serve their clients well, who blame themselves and not their clients when things are not working well…

Particularly disappointing is the leadership of the Domestic Resettlement Section who appears to be more apologist for and defender of resettlement agencies and their local affiliates no matter what rather than the overseers and refugee advocates they should be. Complaints go unanswered; or, if answered, are answered with the condescension of a parent who knows best and must be trusted to do the right thing. Investigation may be promised but one never knows whether it happens and what the result is because that would be a violation of confidentiality. All I know is that what I complained about did not appear to change…Program audits are too infrequent and do not appear to include audits of financial responsibility…Particularly disappointing is that the Domestic Resettlement Section seems to think all is well and nothing needs to change – at least nothing they care to share with the public…

Here is a link to a documentary about refugees in Buffalo, N.Y. I think you’ll find their indomitable spirits despite all that has happened to them is most inspiring. I also recommend the press kit that is posted on the web site for an insight as to how resettlement agencies in Buffalo inspired the making of this film. Read full letter here

Posted in capacity, dangerous neighborhoods, democracy, language interpretation/translation, lack of, Office of Admissions, openess and transparency in government, RPC (Refugee Processing Center), SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) immigrants, State Department, Travel Loan Program, volunteers, World Relief | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

State Dept. Gave One Day Notice Of PRM Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson’s Nashville Visit

Posted by Christopher Coen on February 9, 2012

The State Department’s refugee office is going about its usual way of doing business by having yet another local program visit, this time in Nashville, with local resettlement contractors and their hand-selected refugee clients (this ensures that no one utters any free-spirited or critical comments about the local resettlement contractors, or their government oversight friends). Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) David M. Robinson is in Nashville February 8-9 (reminds me of the former Assistant Secretary’s — Eric P. Schwartz’s — trips to Salt Lake City and Portland and Denver and Phoenix). Robinson answered a few questions two weeks ago during an online live chat. The PRM put out a press release with only 24 hours or less to go before this Nashville visit – apparently in an attempt to keep away all save for insiders.

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

February 7, 2012

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) David M. Robinson will travel from February 8-9, 2012 to Nashville, Tennessee to meet with resettled refugees, refugee resettlement agencies, local and state government officials, and other community members involved in the resettlement of refugees…

If you wish to attend, please contact [the] PRM’s Public Affairs Advisor…by close of business on February 8. Read more here

Posted in Assistant Secretary of the PRM, democracy, Nashville, public/private partnership | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Justice Leads a Young Man to Help/Heal His Community

Posted by Christopher Coen on December 12, 2011

A story from our friends Down Under about the healing power of justice involving a Somali refugee gives us a hint of the world we could create if  justice was an actual priority. An article in The Age tells the story:

…It was Valentine’s Day 2007 when Dini was hit in the mouth during an incident between police and some African youths. As well as damage to three teeth, Dini copped a cluster of police charges that included affray, assault and recklessly causing injury.

What irony – he had avoided the violence that plagued his six years in a Kenyan refugee camp only to be hurt in the family’s safe haven...

…Initially I was really angry – why would the police charge me? I was so stressed, I knew I had done nothing wrong but a lot of friends told me the court system would not work. So there was a tear in my eye when the judge said I was not guilty. I sat back in my chair. It was the biggest relief in my life.”

A dentist could fix that broken tooth, of course, and Dini had intended to have it done but now he sees it almost as a badge of honour. “This makes me Ahmed Dini now,” he says, “the man with the gap in his teeth. The thing that fixed my heart, that fixed me as a person, was the court decision, and that’s why I love this country more than any in the world. When I say that, some of my Somali friends ask: ‘are you serious?’ But for me to spend 10 days in court and to hear the judge say: I believe Ahmed Dini’s version of the story, well …”…

…Dini completed secondary education in Melbourne and did two years of university before deciding to help young Africans. “There was a lot of trouble in the community, no role models,” he says, “so I decided as a young person I would become the public voice.

”I went to any meeting involving Africans – council, police meetings. African elders were going but not young people. Slowly, but slowly I saw change. Then I got a role coaching the under 13s at the Flemington Eagles, a refugee-based soccer club.”

Last year, Dini formed the Australian Somali Football Association. It held a tournament, which drew 4500 spectators, where eight teams played over six days. The 2011 tournament is at the end of this month and 12 teams will play.

At 24, Ahmed Dini makes an impressive advocate… Read more here

Posted in Australian refugee resettlement prgm, court, democracy, men, mental health, police, Somali | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Refugee Congress elected by government resettlement contractors

Posted by Christopher Coen on August 7, 2011

It seems like each time refugees resettled to the US have contact with the federal government resettlement contractors first select them. Yet, does anyone ever stop to think how this practice fails to promote our democratic ideals? I think that contractors are trying to control the message(s) that reach government and elected officials. The Fairfax Times explains the story of one of the refugee delegates, an Afghan journalist.

A long way from home, Afghan journalist Nazira Karimi remains undeterred in her effort to tell the story of her country.

As part of this effort, Karimi has joined a panel of 50 refugees participating in the first Refugee Congress in Washington, D.C.

The event, held Wednesday and Thursday on Capitol Hill, was hosted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — a two-time Nobel Peace Prize-winning agency.

The goal of the event is to raise public awareness of refugees living in the U.S. as well as to discuss issues facing this population, spokeswoman Charity Tooze said.

“The Refugee Congress stemmed from the idea that people affected most by refugee policies should be involved [in the discussion of policies],” she said. “A lot of times, politicians speak for refugees. We want to put refugees at the table with people who make decisions.”…

…Delegates were nominated by nongovernmental refugee organizations. About 200 people were nominated, Tooze said, and then 50 were chosen based on their experiences and community involvement.

“This is not a one-time thing,” Tooze said of the Refugee Congress. “We’re hoping this is an annual event. We see this as the beginning of a movement to give refugees more of a voice … and power.”

Remembering how difficult her resettlement to the U.S. was, Karimi said she hopes that she and other delegates can help make future resettlements easier.

…During this week’s gathering, refugee delegates drafted a proclamation with some recommended changes to U.S. policy regarding refugee resettlement efforts. The proclamation will go to the U.S. Congress first, then on to the annual meeting of the United Nations Secretariat in Geneva, Tooze said.

“Delegates meet in the day to discuss refugee policy and their experiences in resettlement,” she said. “There’s a lot of energy, a lot of dynamics. … We have people who are 80 years old and people in their 20s. … What they have in common is their shared [refugee] experiences.”… Karimi would like to see resettlement programs offer more emotional help to refugees… Read more here

I have a proposal –  that refugees who want to meet with government and elected officials be free to do so, and that they be allowed to rise from their own grass-roots.

Posted in Afghan, Congress, democracy, UN, UNHCR | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

 
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