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 25^th and 26^th 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:

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Please sir, can you help me?

This was the subject line of an e-mail that showed up on my laptop over Christmas break. Like dozens that had come before it, it described the journey that had brought a hopeful Iraqi translator to the United States in search of safety and a better life for herself. Rachel (not her real name) had been in Austin for only a couple of months, and was feeling quite hopeless, having not found a job or roommate to help pay the rent. She was considering moving to South Dakota, where a friend had gotten a job at a meat packing plant.

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.