Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
In the News : Deportations
Sunday, March 7, 2010
From near and far Iraqis voted. Now they wait.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
News Update
Increase to Refugee Reception and Placement Grant
According to a State Department Press Release, the Reception and Placement Program grants will increase this month to help address the challenges refugees face during their first 30-90 days in the United States. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) resettles tens of thousands of refugees each year to safety in the U.S., including over 18,000 Iraqis in 2009. The Reception and Placement Program administered by the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration includes a one-time per capita grant to recent arrivals, but according to the press release, the grant has declined by more than 50% since its inception in 1980. With the challenges refugees face during their initial months in the U.S. and with the economic downturn and decline in availability of jobs, the State Department increased the Reception and Placement per capita grant effective January 1, 2010. While much of the increase will be used to provide direct services and support (such as housing), there will be some flexibility in how some of the funds are used.
Another positive note: the State Department will continue its review of refugee resettlement led by the White House.
Bombings in Baghdad:
The bombings January 25th and 26th have rocked the capital city, with bombers targeting government offices and landmark hotels. The timing of the attacks has encouraged speculation that the bombings are in retaliation to the hanging of “Chemical Ali”, but Gen. Ray Odierno states that he sees “absolutely no connection” between the attacks and the execution.
Coordinated attacks on the major city since August have left nearly 450 people killed and hundreds wounded. The recent attacks are believed to have been carried-out by Sunni extremists determined to unseat Iraq’s U.S.-backed Shiite-led government, according to the Washington Post. The banning of hundreds of candidates promoting the Baath Party from the March 2010 elections has aggravated sectarian tensions and threatens the security of the country. For additional coverage and more information on the upcoming election please check out The Ground Truth.
The List Project Online:
We are increasing our visibility on facebook and creating our own page. Please stay tuned to learn when our new page will launch—hope to see you online!
We have 150 followers on twitter! Please join us to get news on our work and the latest related headlines: twitter.com/tlpHQ
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Please sir, can you help me?
I got in touch with my friend Meg, who recently started the Multicultural Refugee Coalition, an organization aimed at helping refugees in the Austin area. We had met at a RefugeeWorks conference earlier in the year. We met with Rachel over lunch, and were able to get in touch with her resettlement agency to see if she qualified for Reception and Placement benefits, which she had not received. We're still waiting on the final word on that issue, but we were successfully convince Rachel to stay in Austin at least a little while longer.
When I started volunteering for the List Project just over a year ago, I didn't know anything about the U.S. resettlement system. I didn't know about the complex relationships between government departments, overseas processing entities, and voluntary resettlement agencies. I definitely didn't know about sponsors, free cases, cash assistance programs, SIV benefits, or pending legislation. I am much more knowledgeable about these things now than I was a year ago. Even today, however, there is still so much I don't know. My understanding of the system is still very incomplete, and it bothers me.
What surprises me the most, though, is that it doesn't seem to bother most of the Iraqis that I work with. For them, its the simple gestures that matter the most. An e-mail. A phone call. A visit. Spending 30 minutes looking over a resume. These simple acts can mean the world to someone who is on the brink of despair. And anybody can do them!
While every person and story is different, they all share the common themes of courage, uncertainty, and hope. Obviously, many of our cases require long hours of research and follow-up to resolve more complex issues, and there is a network of experts helping out behind the scenes both inside and outside of The List Project. But it doesn't take a degree in social work to take that first step and reach out. It just takes someone willing to do it.
If you would like to volunteer as a caseworker for the List Project, please send an e-mail to volunteers@thelistproject.org.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Congress Offers SIVs Same Benefits Available to Refugees
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Black Friday...where "war" is a good thing!
Friday, November 13, 2009
In the News
Eric Schwartz, the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration will travel to Iraq, Jordan and Syria from November 13 to November 19, according to a Department of State press release. Mr. Schwartz will meet with government officials, officials from the UN, international organizations and Iraqi and Palestinian refugees who have benefited from U.S. government-funded programs in the region.
'Denial and Delay' a HRF Report: Refugee Applications Denied Due To Strict Nature of U.S. Anti-terrorism Laws:
According to a Washington Post article, U.S. Anti-terrorism laws are applied so strictly that thousands of refugees fleeing persecution are having their applications denied or indefinitely delayed. Human Rights First released a study this week documenting cases where people have been labeled terrorists and denied entry to the U.S. Human Rights First profiled the cases of several refugees, including Iraqis who had served as interpreters for the U.S. Military. The report concluded that nearly 20,000 asylum-seekers and refugees have been affected since 2001.
World Food Programme Pilots Food Distribution by Text:
WFP in Syria piloted a new project this month, sending food vouchers by text to over 1000 Iraqi families (3,500 beneficiaries), according to IRIN. Each family receives vouchers worth $22 (U.S.) per person and vouchers are sent every two months. While each family still receives 50 percent of their rations through the traditional handout program, WFP believes that if this program is successful it could replace the usual program. To find out more about how these vouchers work, please click here
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The List Project Founder, Holland & Knight Senior Pro Bono Counsel Visit The List Project at Vanderbilt
Last week, Vanderbilt University Law School (VULS) students provided Kirk Johnson, the founder of The List Project (TLP), and Chris Nugent, Senior Counsel with the Community Services Team at Holland & Knight LLP, with several busy days of policy briefings, leadership discussions, and family visits in the Nashville area.
When Johnson and Nugent arrived at the airport on Thursday night, they were greeted by one of the first Iraqis resettled to Nashville by TLP. Their visit to Vanderbilt began in earnest on Friday morning, with a small meeting of TLP at Vanderbilt’s Steering Committee. Students shared their efforts to help resettled Iraqis obtain meaningful employment, safe housing, medical care, and English language classes; provided updates on the legal and policy research they have been performing; and offered ideas for furthering the objectives of The List Project both in Nashville and nationwide.
TLP leadership then met privately with Professor Mike Newton, formerly a senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues at the U.S. Department of State. Drawing on his extensive on-the-ground experience in Iraq as a legal advisor to the Iraqi High Tribunal, Newton offered strategic insights into TLP’s policy work. He also helped cement the unique collaboration between TLP and VULS by securing a number of future legal internships for Vanderbilt law students.
The day continued with a thought-provoking talk by Johnson, Nugent, and an Iraqi refugee living in Nashville. Approximately 60 people attended the discussion, including local community leaders, several Iraqi families, and many interested, committed law students and undergraduates. Johnson stressed the urgency of resettling threatened Iraqis who aided the American government in Iraq. He also highlighted the need to hold the U.S. government accountable—and keep it informed—as the drawdown of U.S. troops from Iraq continues. Nugent, who manages Holland & Knight’s team of attorneys assisting TLP, discussed some of the challenges of the legal process for Iraqis on The List, who include translators, engineers, and other highly qualified professionals. Several Iraqis asked questions about their lives in the United States and how to continue moving forward in this country.
After sharing hummus and kabobs at lunch, members of TLP travelled with Johnson and Nugent to meet with individual Iraqi families, hear their stories, and share insights, thoughts, and hope with them. Over several cups of chai tea, each family explained their fears about their time in Iraq, their struggles after coming to the United States, and their joy at meeting members of TLP. Johnson listened closely and encouraged these Iraqis to keep moving forward despite the hard economic times many of them face. The day ended about 8:00 p.m. that evening with a hearty Iraqi dinner. Early the next morning, Nugent and Andrew Free, the head of TLP at Vanderbilt, ventured out to nearby Smyrna, Tennessee, to meet 16 more Iraqi members of the local TLP community.
Special thanks are in order to Samara Spence, Rachel Gore, Rachel Weisshaar, Shannon Fyfe, John Spragens, and all TLP@VU members for making this visit a success. All told, TLP@VU donated over $1,000 to make this trip a reality. It has already begun paying dividends.
TLP@VU aims to aid Iraqi refugees in Nashville during their transition to U.S. society. Vanderbilt law students involved with TLP include Arabic-speaking veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, students who have worked in the past with refugee groups, and others who are inspired and committed to helping Iraqi families. If you are interested in joining the Vanderbilt chapter and helping resettled Iraqis in Nashville, we encourage you to join Netroots, our online community, and contact Andrew Free to learn more about local opportunities.
Labels: Vanderbilt Law School Visit











