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U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for Fiscal Year 1998

Released by the Office of Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
and the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services, April 1998

Table of Contents

FOREWORD

I. Refugee Admissions Program for FY 1998

A. Overview of U.S. Refugee Policy
B. Resettlement Needs in FY 1998

1. Africa
2. East Asia
3. Europe
4. Latin America and the Caribbean
5. Near East and South Asia
6. Unallocated Reserve

II. Plans for Movement and Resettlement

A. Admissions Procedures

1. Eligibility Criteria
2. The Worldwide Priority System

--Processing Priorities For FY 1998 (U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Eligibility for Refugee Processing Priorities FY 1998)
--Priority Two Groups of Special Concern for FY 1998 (Description of U.S. Refugee Processing Priorities (FY 1998)

3. FY 1998 Presidential Determination
4. INS Refugee Processing

B. The Resettlement Process

1. Voluntary Agency Processing
2. Overseas Cultural Orientation
3. Transportation
4. Initial Reception and Placement

III. Domestic Impact of Refugees

A. Demographic Impact
B. Geographic Distribution

List of Tables

I. Refugee Admissions in FY 1996 and FY 1997 Proposed Ceiling in 1998

II. Proposed Ceilings for Refugee Admissions in FY 1998

III. Median Age and Sex for Refugee Arrivals, FY 1996

IV. Select Age Categories for Refugee Arrivals, FY 1996

V. Estimated Costs of Refugee Processing, Movement, and Resettlement

VI. Departure of UNHCR-Referred Refugees for Resettlement from January 1 to December 31, 1996, by Region of Origin and Resettlement Country

VII. Amerasian, Entrant, and Refugee Arrivals by State of Initial Resettlement for FY 1996

VIII. Amerasian, Entrant, and Refugee Arrivals by Country of Origin for FY 1996

IX. Top 12 Source Country Arrivals by State of Initial Resettlement for FY 1996

FOREWORD

The annual congressional consultations with the Senate and House of Representatives Judiciary Committees were held on July 31 and September 10, 1997, respectively, and provided an opportunity for the Congress and the Administration to focus on the domestic and international implications of U.S. refugee policy.

During the course of the fiscal year 1997, Administration officials have had periodic discussions with Members and staff of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House International Relations Committee, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and other interested Congressional committees. In addition, we received input from representatives of state and local governments, public interest groups, private voluntary organizations, mutual assistance associations, and other organizations concerned with refugees.

The Administration is committed to strengthening the effectiveness of U.S. refugee admissions and assistance programs consistent with domestic and international concerns within a humanitarian framework. The task of balancing these concerns has become increasingly challenging because of the sizable number of refugees requiring assistance in an era of budgetary constraints. Nevertheless, the United States remains, by a wide margin, the largest resettlement country in the world, while at the same time contributing to life-sustaining assistance programs which have an impact on millions of refugees and displaced persons.

This document describes the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for FY 1998.

Resettlement in third countries, including the United States, is considered for refugees in urgent need of protection, refugees for whom the other durable solutions are not feasible, and refugees able to join close family members. In seeking durable solutions for refugees, the United States gives highest priority to the safe, voluntary return of refugees to their homelands. This policy, recognized in the Refugee Act of 1980, is also the first priority for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). If safe, voluntary repatriation is not feasible, then other viable solutions are evaluated, including resettlement in a third country and resettlement countries of asylum within the region.

At the end of 1996, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated the world's population of refugees and asylum seekers to be over 13.6 million. Persons displaced within their own countries by war, famine and civil unrest may exceed that number. The United States works with other governments and international and private organizations to protect refugees, displaced persons, and conflict victims and strives to ensure that survival needs for food, health care and shelter are met. Under the authority contained in the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, the United States contributes to the international activities of the UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other international and private organizations which provide ongoing relief and assistance to refugees, displaced persons, and conflict victims. The United States has been instrumental in mobilizing a community of nations to work through these and other organizations in alleviating the misery and suffering of refugees throughout the world. We continue to press for the most effective use of international resources directed to the urgent needs of refugees and displaced persons. During FY 1997, the United States has supported major relief and repatriation programs in Africa, Europe, Central America, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Near East.

The United States considers for admission as refugees persons of special humanitarian concern who can establish persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The legal basis of the refugee admissions program is the Refugee Act of 1980 which embodies the American tradition of granting refuge to diverse groups suffering or fearing persecution. The Act in essence adopted the definition of "refugee" contained in the 1951 U. N. Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. The definition, which may be found in Section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended, is as follows:

The term 'refugee' means: (A) any person who is outside any country of such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having no nationality, is outside any country in which such person last habitually resided, and who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of, that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, or (B) in such circumstances as the President after appropriate consultation (as defined in section 207 (e) of this Act) may specify, any person who is within the country of such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having no nationality, within the country in which such person is habitually residing, and who is persecuted or who has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

The term "refugee" does not include any person who ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

For purposes of determinations under this Act, a person who has been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization, or who has been persecuted for failure or refusal to undergo such a procedure or for other resistance to a coercive population control program, shall be deemed to have been persecuted on account of political opinion, and a person who has a well-founded fear that he or she will be forced to undergo such a procedure or be subject to persecution for such failure, refusal or resistance shall be deemed to have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of political opinion.

With regard to refugees resettled in the United States, the U.S. Government aims to promote economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible, limiting the need for public assistance and encouraging refugees to contribute to the diversity and enrichment of our country as previous newcomers have. Federally funded programs administered by the States have provided cash and medical assistance, training programs, employment and other support services to many refugees upon arrival in the United States. A variety of institutional providers have performed these services, including private voluntary agencies who also perform initial reception and placement services under cooperative agreements with the Department of State. All of these benefits are intended for short-term utilization during a refugee's transition to becoming an independent, contributing member of the national economy and of American society.

Region	FY 1996 Actual	FY 1997 Ceiling	FY 1997 Actual	FY 1998 Ceiling
Africa	7,502	7,000	6,069	7,000
East Asia	19,234	10,000	8,590	14,000
Europe Former Yugoslavia Former Soviet Union	41,617	48,000 (18,000) (30,000)	48,450(1) (27,075) (21,357)	51,000(2) (25,000) (26,000)
Latin America/Caribbean	3,541	4,000	2,986	4,000
Near East/South Asia	3,788	4,000	3,990	4,000
Unallocated	0	5,000	0(1)	3,000(3)
Total	75,682	78,000	70,085	83,000

¹In August unallocated reserve numbers were programmed to Europe and Near East/South Asia regional ceilings.
²Within the Europe ceiling are 5,000 unfunded reserve numbers unallocated to the former Soviet Union for use as needed provided that resources within existing appropriations are available to fund the cost of their admission.
³Unallocated Reserve of 3,000 unfunded numbers, to be used only if both DOS and HHS have sufficient resources from existing appropriations, and only upon notification to Congress.

To respond to the humanitarian needs of refugees, the President authorized for FY 1998 an admissions ceiling of 83,000 refugees for permanent resettlement in the United States. Allocations within this ceiling are shown in Table II.

* This figure includes Amerasians and their family members who enter as immigrants under a special statutory provision but receive the same benefits as refugees.
** In addition to the 75,000 admissions numbers that are funded under the FY 1998 appropriation, an additional 8,000 admissions numbers (3,000 in the unallocated reserve and 5,000 in the European ceiling for refugees from the former Soviet Union) are available if needed and if necessary funding can be identified within existing appropriations for the Department of State and Health and Human Services. The Department will notify Congress should use of this contingency become necessary.

The President also determined, in accordance with section 101(a)(42)(B) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 (a)(42)) and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, that persons in Cuba, Vietnam and the former Soviet Union may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence.

In addition to the proposed admission of refugees from abroad, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will be authorized to adjust to the status of permanent resident alien 10,000 persons who have been granted asylum in the United States and have been in the United States for at least one year, pursuant to Section 209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

In the regional descriptions which follow, an overview of refugee-generating conditions is provided. In addition, opportunities for voluntary repatriation, resettlement within the region, and third-country resettlement are noted.

B. Resettlement Needs in FY 1998

With some 4.9 million refugees, Sub-Saharan Africa hosts one-third of the world's refugees and a much greater share of the world's internally displaced persons. African nations generally support the principle of first asylum, with nearly all the continental nations hosting refugees. Sadly, about half of the countries of the continent have generated those refugees.

Refugee flows in both directions continue with voluntary repatriation increasing. As of mid-1997, an estimated 640,000 refugees from Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) were in uncertain asylum. Conflicts in Burundi and Sierra Leone are creating still more refugees and displaced persons. The cease-fire/peace agreement in Liberia was still holding, and some disarmament/demobilization had occurred, paving the way for elections and the potential repatriation of some 700,000 Liberian refugees. Expanding warfare in Sudan was the significant exception to a brighter outlook for the Horn of Africa.

Voluntary Repatriation
Many of Africa's long-term refugees have been able to return home. By mid-1997, more than 1.3 million Rwandan refugees were able to return home from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) and Tanzania. The Horn of Africa presented good prospects for accelerated repatriation to Ethiopia, and northern Somalia. In addition, repatriations of Mauritanians, Malians, and Togolese were underway. Prospects for voluntary repatriation of some 300,000 Sierra Leonean refugees seemed promising until the events of May and June.

Resettlement Within the Region
The historical tolerance of most African nations toward hosting long-term refugees has eroded significantly over the past few years. As there continues to be an expectation that most refugees will eventually return home, African nations continue to be unwilling to provide durable solutions to refugee situations through the granting of citizenship and permanent local integration.

Third-Country Resettlement
Continuing ethnic tension, human rights abuses, competition for resources, environmental degradation, political change, religious intolerance and the easy availability of modern weaponry can be expected to generate substantial numbers of additional refugees for the foreseeable future. Third-country resettlement may be necessary for the protection of some refugees and/or as a durable solution for some groups for whom repatriation is not a viable option. Political dissidents who are unwelcome in prospective asylum countries, urbanized refugees who seek to remain in urban areas rather than assimilate into rural settlements as most governments prefer or require, and refugees such as those belonging to clan groups associated with deposed government leaders (but who are themselves innocent of any perceived or actual wrongdoing) for whom voluntary repatriation and local integration appear to be nearly impossible, are representative of those who will need third-country resettlement during FY-98. Third-country resettlement becomes more important in the final resolution of refugee situations, as the last remaining populations often are those who cannot return home safely for security or other reasons.

U.S. Admissions
Virtually all refugee admissions processing in Africa is coordinated by the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, assisted by a Joint Voluntary Agency or "JVA" (representing all U.S. private voluntary agencies involved in resettlement) working under a cooperative agreement with the Department of State. In addition to conducting refugee admissions processing in Nairobi, JVA staff visit numerous countries in the region each year to prepare casework for refugees referred to the U.S. program by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or who have close family links to the U.S. Refugee applications are then adjudicated by officers of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) who make periodic "circuit rides" to countries in which there are groups of refugee applicants or to locations where UNHCR has brought applicants for interview.

FY 1997 Program
Approximately 6,100 African refugees are expected to be admitted to the U.S. in FY-97, including about 5,000 Somalis and smaller groups of African refugees from Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and other countries.

The expansion of the African resettlement program and greater reliance on UNHCR identification and referral of individual refugees and groups for whom third-country resettlement is the only viable durable solution have resulted in a more flexible program. This was the second year in which the majority of the African refugees admitted were UNHCR referrals. Teams of U.S. caseworkers and INS officers visited a number of countries in 1997 to process discrete caseloads that have been referred to the U.S. by UNHCR, resulting in a more diverse African caseload than in previous years. In addition, UNHCR referred a large group of Barawan (a non-Somali ethnic minority from Somalia) in Mombasa, Kenya to the U.S. program. The U.S. continues to work closely with UNHCR to enhance the awareness of UNHCR protection officers of U.S. resettlement as a viable option for resolving certain refugee protection cases. We expect that this greater coordination with UNHCR will continue to lead to greater congruence between groups of refugees recommended by that agency for third-country resettlement and those considered by the U.S. program. The U.S. is supporting two UNHCR Resettlement Officers, under the UNHCR Junior Professional Officer program, in Dakar and Addis Ababa to enhance UNHCR's ability to identify and refer refugees in need of resettlement. In addition, in order to enhance processing capabilities, a JVA sub-office is being opened in Dakar, Senegal.

FY 1998 Proposal
The ceiling for Africa refugee admissions is 7,000 for FY-98. The caseload will consist of Sudanese, Burundi, Ethiopians, Sierra Leoneans, Togolese, Congolese (formerly Zairians) residual Liberian family reunification cases and others referred by UNHCR. The latter group may include some individuals of refugee groups for whom voluntary repatriation is underway (such as Malians, Eritreans, Somalis, or Mauritanians) but for whom return is not feasible in their particular situation.

Processing Priorities for FY 1998
All nationalities are eligible for Priority One processing. In Priority Two, specific groups (within certain nationalities) as identified by the Department of State in consultation with NGOs, UNHCR, INS, and other area experts. These identified groups do not create categories of eligibility. Each group will be selected based on its individual circumstances. In FY-98 those nationalities eligible for family reunification (Priority 3) include countries currently undergoing active conflict-namely, Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. The criteria for family reunification eligibility (Priority 3) has been expanded to include refugees for whom a UNHCR organized repatriation program has been launched and is essentially completed. This latter category includes Togo and Ethiopia. Given the positive changes in Liberia over the past year, the absence of active fighting, and the return of relative stability, the current Liberian family reunification program will be phased out as of December 31, 1997. Refugees for whom affidavits of relationship have been filed with voluntary agencies prior to December 31, 1997, will continue to be processed in FY-98.

2. EAST ASIA

First Asylum
Over the course of the past year, nearly all of the remaining Indochinese asylum seekers from first-asylum camps in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong were either resettled in third countries or returned to their countries of origin. Most notably, over 27,000 screened-out Vietnamese (those found not to be refugees under the screening process established pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA)) returned to Vietnam. Camps for Vietnamese asylum seekers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are closed. In addition, some 3,200 Lao refugees were resettled in the U.S. and the final Lao camp in Thailand is scheduled to close during 1998.

As of July 1, 1997, there were approximately 1,000 Vietnamese asylum seekers in Hong Kong, most of whom had been determined to be refugees, but ineligible for admission to the United States under U.S. law. As of July 1, approximately 204 screened-out asylum seekers were awaiting return to Vietnam, but were delayed pending resolution of medical and judicial cases. Vietnam has rejected an additional 514 screened-out ethnic Chinese asylum seekers as not being Vietnamese nationals. In the last few weeks before Hong Kong's reversion to China, the U.S. accepted 260 individuals for resettlement, principally Nung who had been associated with the U.S. during the Vietnam War. The eventual resolution of the status of the remaining screened-in but unresettleable Vietnamese population remains unclear.

There also remain some 2,000 screened-out Vietnamese asylum-seekers in the Philippines. Although the Government of the Philippines has not made an official commitment, it appears likely that this group will be permitted to remain in the Philippines and integrate locally.

Thailand currently hosts some 116,000 Burmese ethnic minorities and students in encampments along its border with Burma, as well as about 800 Burmese students/dissidents in the Bangkok area who are recognized by UNHCR as "persons of concern."

Voluntary Repatriation
Under the CPA, asylum seekers who were found not to be refugees as defined in the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol were not considered for third-country resettlement. Instead, they were encouraged to return voluntarily to Vietnam. As of the end 1997, more than 110,000 screened-out Vietnamese asylum-seekers have returned to Vietnam from first-asylum camps in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. Of these, the majority returned voluntarily. UNHCR monitors returnees in Vietnam, and no evidence of a policy or pattern of persecution or discrimination against these repatriates has been documented.

In January 1997, the U.S. negotiated an agreement with Vietnam on the implementation of the Resettlement Opportunity for Vietnamese Returnees (ROVR) inside Vietnam. Under ROVR, returnees to Vietnam were allowed to register for a resettlement interview in Vietnam to determine if they qualified under a broad set of criteria as being "of special interest" to the U.S. This program was designed to encourage the remaining screened-out camp populations to return to Vietnam voluntarily and to ensure that persons of special interest to the U.S. had an opportunity to pursue resettlement once in Vietnam. Some 9,000 individuals registered to participate in ROVR, and an additional 4,500-5,000 who returned between October 1995 and April 1996 may still register. The ROVR interviews began in April 1997 and will continue through FY 1998.

Since September 1980, a UNHCR program has facilitated the voluntary repatriation of more than 27,000 Lowland Lao, Hmong and other Highlanders from Thailand. There are several reception centers for returnees in Laos, and UNHCR monitors the returnees to ensure their safety.

Resettlement in the Region
The willingness of countries in the region to resettle refugees or even to grant temporary asylum is constrained by security and economic concerns, as well as cultural, religious, and political sensitivities. It now appears likely that the Philippines will quietly integrate some 2,000 Vietnamese migrants who were screened out under the CPA. However, none of the other first-asylum countries who participated in the CPA have been willing as part of the end-game to absorb permanently any of the Indochinese asylum-seekers.

During 1997, on several occasions Thailand pushed Burmese refugees back across the border into Burma as the Thai government apparently feared another situation like the one created with Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians after 1975. In what has turned out to be an interesting but not very successful experiment, UNHCR facilitated the resettlement of some 300 Bosnian Muslim women and children to Malaysia in 1995. That population has not integrated well and many if not all are now requesting resettlement elsewhere.

Third-Country Resettlement
Under the CPA, resettlement countries agreed to resettle eligible Vietnamese asylum seekers who arrived in Hong Kong prior to June 16, 1988 or in Southeast Asia prior to March 14, 1989. This group was not screened but simply determined to be refugees in the first-asylum countries by virtue of when they arrived. Asylum-seekers arriving after the cutoff dates were screened by the host governments for refugee status.

After the inception of the CPA in 1989, the United States resettled some 17,000 or 34% of the remaining pre-cutoff population and some 13,000 or 39% of the post-cutoff screened-in population (out of 33,000 total screened-in). Between 1980 and 1989--prior to the CPA--the U.S. resettled some 162,000 Vietnamese from first-asylum countries.

A number of other countries also resettled significant numbers of Indochinese asylum-seekers as part of the CPA. The primary participants were Australia, Canada, and France, all of which have resettled well over 100,000 people each since 1975. Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland have also each resettled thousands during the same period. It is worth noting, however, that the U.S. alone has resettled over 940,000 Indochinese refugees since 1975, a total which surpasses all other third-country resettlement combined.

U.S. Admissions
The U.S. refugee admissions program in Southeast Asia consists of two basic parts: admissions from first-asylum countries to which refugees fled ("first asylum"), and admissions through in-country processing in Vietnam under the Bangkok-based Orderly Departure Program (ODP). Since 1975, the U.S. has resettled some 940,000 Indochinese refugees from first-asylum countries, including 540,000 Vietnamese, 123,000 Lowland Lao, 130,000 Highland Lao (mostly Hmong), and 150,000 Khmer. Since 1989, admissions of Vietnamese and Lao refugees from first-asylum countries has been carried out in accordance with the CPA.

Under ODP, some 480,000 Vietnamese refugees, immigrants, and parolees have been admitted to the U.S. including approximately 159,000 persons under the Former Re-Education Camp Detainee subprogram, 84,000 under the Amerasian subprogram, and 203,000 under family reunification and other subprograms. (In recent years, family reunification has been accomplished through the issuance of immigrant visas by Consular Officers working under ODP, and IV issuance is no longer tracked as part of ODP refugee statistics. At present, ODP issues approximately 1,000 immigrant visas per month.)

The Amerasian immigrant program remains an integral part of ODP. This program admits Amerasians along with members of their immediate families or foster families for resettlement in the U.S. Although the "Amerasian Homecoming Act" of 1987 designated Amerasians as a special class of immigrant, they are accorded some refugee benefits and are therefore included in the refugee admissions ceiling for consistency with the budgetary process. Large-scale processing of the Amerasian caseload was completed in 1993, although direct registration and processing of the small number of qualified applicants continues.

FY 1997 Program
The FY-97 allocation for East Asia was 10,000. The slow start of interviews under ROVR admissions from the region only totaled 8,590. Of the total admitted under the East Asia regional ceiling, some 1,100 admissions were Lao and Burmese refugees processed in Thailand. Also, small numbers of Chinese dissidents were admitted from Hong Kong. The remaining numbers were used by ODP. While admissions from the newest ODP subprogram, ROVR, started in FY-97, the bulk of the admissions from this subprogram will occur in FY-98 and possibly even early FY 99.

FY 1998 Program
The admissions ceiling for East Asia for FY-98 is 14,000.

First Asylum. Direct resettlement from first-asylum countries is not expected to exceed 500 refugees and will include Burmese, Chinese, Vietnamese (the last few from first-asylum countries) and Lao.

The Orderly Departure Program (ODP). Admissions for FY-98 under ODP are expected to be 13,500, and will consist of former re-education camp detainees and former U.S. Government employees in Vietnam, Amerasians and accompanying family members, plus U.S.-interest cases repatriated from first-asylum camps in the region through the ROVR subprogram.

Processing Priorities for FY 1998
All nationalities remain eligible for Priority One processing in FY-98. In addition, Vietnamese and Burmese are eligible under Priority Two. Vietnam is designated for in-country processing.

3. EUROPE

Former Soviet Union
Over the past year, the countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) have continued to wrestle with the difficult process of political and economic reform with some success. The new states have pledged to ensure freedom of emigration and have been taking steps in this direction.

The post-Soviet political climate has changed tremendously. Greater freedom of movement, religion, and speech have benefited traditionally persecuted minorities. There is a counterweight to the new freedom and democracy, however. Because of worsened economic conditions and increased lawlessness, extremist "nationalist" groups have surfaced with a hate agenda directed against Jews and "foreign influences." Societal anti-Semitism is no longer restrained by a totalitarian government which pursued its own more subtle version. Hostility against proselytizing by religious sects perceived as "foreign"--a designation applied to, among others, the Evangelical Christian churches, rightly or not--has also emerged.

Eastern Europe
In many countries of Western Europe the proportion of asylum-seekers coming from Eastern Europe has decreased as democratic reforms have taken hold. A notable exception to this trend continues to be persons from the former Yugoslavia, who constitute the majority of the asylum-seeking populations in nearly every country of Western Europe. Nineteen ninety-eight (1998) will be a critical year for both repatriations to the countries of the Former Yugoslavia and for resettlement of those refugees from the Former Yugoslavia who cannot return in safety and security.

Third-Country Resettlement
In addition to the United States and the countries of Western Europe, Australia and Canada also have resettled Eastern Europeans, and Israel has resettled Soviet Jews and Jews from other countries. Between FY-75 and FY-95, over 135,000 refugees from Eastern Europe and 412,000 refugees from the FSU were resettled in the United States. In recent years, the U.S. refugee program for the FSU and Eastern Europe has accepted applications principally from nationals of the FSU and from Bosnia.

U.S. Admissions

Former Soviet Union. Refugee admissions processing for the FSU is carried out in Moscow for groups identified in the Lautenberg Amendment: Jews, Evangelical Christians, and certain members of the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The vast majority of FSU refugees now being interviewed have family ties to the U.S. Approximately 4,500 persons are scheduled for interviews each month. The rate of new applications received from persons meeting the program's eligibility criteria averages 1,500 persons per month. We anticipate that the scheduling backlog will disappear early in FY-98. Since it takes several months from the time of scheduling until INS interviews and local exit formalities are completed, admissions should begin to decrease significantly only toward the very end of FY-98.

Eastern Europe. Until FY-97, this program mainly focused on Bosnian Muslims who fled Bosnia and who fell into processing Priorities One, Three, Four and Five. Under Priority One, persons meeting the following criteria have been considered by the program:

(1) Vulnerable Bosnians referred for resettlement by UNHCR, such as former detainees, torture victims, and women victims of violence;
(2) Bosnians in mixed marriages of any ethnic background (i.e., Muslim-Serb; Serb-Croat; Muslim-Croat); and
(3) Immediate family members of minor U.S. citizen children, who have been displaced as a result of the fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Effective January 1, 1997, the State Department announced a new Priority Two program for Bosnians of all ethnicities, which allowed direct registration without UNHCR referral. Those eligible are:

(1) Former detainees who were held on account of ethnicity or political or religious opinion.
(2) Victims of torture or systematic violence against members of targeted ethnic groups by governmental authorities or quasi-governmental authorities in areas under their control.
(3) Surviving spouses of civilians who would have been eligible under these criteria if they had not died or disappeared in detention or as a result of torture or violence.
(4) Persons in mixed marriages of any ethnic background.

Bosnians with relatives in the United States are now eligible for processing under Priorities Three and Four. Those with aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and first cousins in the U.S. who filed Affidavits of Relationship notarized before April 1, 1997, are eligible for interview although new registrations will not be accepted.

FY 1997 Program
The combined authorized admissions ceiling for the FSU and Eastern Europe is 52,500 for
FY-97. Approximately 27,100 persons from the former Soviet Union and nearly 21,400 Bosnians were admitted through a reallocation of admissions numbers from the unallocated reserve. In addition, a small number of immediate relatives of persons admitted to the U.S. in previous years from other East European countries were admitted as refugees under the "Visas 93" program.

FY 1998 Program
The regional ceiling for Europe is 51,000. Of this, we expect to admit up to 25,000 refugees from the former Yugoslavia and up to 26,000 from the former Soviet Union. We believe that this increase in the number of refugees admitted from the former Yugoslavia is a critical element of our support for the Dayton Peace Process and finding durable solutions for those refugees from the former Yugoslavia who cannot return to Bosnia in safety and security. Simultaneously, a continuing decline in the number of new applications from the former Soviet Union will mean that backlogs in that program are virtually eliminated during FY-98.

Processing Priorities for FY 1998
Eligibility criteria for the program in FY-98 are as follows: all nationalities are eligible for Priority One. Persons who were nationals of the former Soviet Union prior to September 2, 1991, are eligible for Priority Two processing in-country. Bosnians of all ethnic groups continue to be eligible for Priorities Two, Three and Four to allow reunification of those who have close family ties to the United States, regardless of ethnicity. Those who are the beneficiaries of notarized Affidavits of Relationship filed by aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first cousins before April 1, 1997, but who have not yet been interviewed by the INS will also be eligible. No new Priority Five cases from the former Yugoslavia will be accepted in FY-98.

4. LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

The progress toward peace and democracy in the Western Hemisphere in recent years has left only one significant group of refugees in the region--Guatemalans in Mexico. These individuals are expected to repatriate or resettle permanently in Mexico. Underlying tensions, such as those causing insurrections in Colombia, which has the region's largest population of internally displaced persons, and Peru support a continuing need for UNHCR and ICRC activities. The other exception to these positive developments in the hemisphere is the unchanged political and human rights situation in Cuba.

Voluntary Repatriation
In Latin America and the Caribbean, voluntary repatriation has proven to be the durable solution for most refugees.

Resettlement in the Region
Resettlement within the region is seen by UNHCR as the first option when repatriation is not possible, although in a very few instances, extra-regional settlement may be needed. Victims of torture and women at risk are considered by UNHCR to be in particular need of extra-regional resettlement because there are not adequate medical or support facilities for these groups.

U.S. Admissions
In recent years, refugee admissions from this region have consisted primarily of Cubans and Haitians. The in-country program in Haiti was closed in early 1995. The Cuban admissions program, originally designed to address the needs of former long-term political prisoners, was expanded in 1991 when the resettlement needs of that population had largely been addressed. The expanded criteria for the in-country program remain in effect. In addition to the in-country program for Cubans in Priority Two (those eligible as "members of a group of special concern"), any Cubans outside Cuba referred to the U.S. program by UNHCR or identified by an Embassy under Priority One also will be considered.

Cubans eligible to apply for admission to the U.S. through the in-country program under Priority Two include the following:

(1) Former political prisoners;
(2) Members of persecuted religious minorities;
(3) Human rights activists;
(4) Forced labor conscripts during the period 1965-68;
(5) Persons deprived of their professional credentials or subjected to other disproportionately harsh or discriminatory treatment resulting from their perceived or actual political or religious beliefs; and
(6) Others who appear to have a credible claim that they will face persecution as defined in the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.

FY 1997 Program
In FY-97, we admitted nearly 3,000 Cuban refugees. The number was lower than expected, due to the imposition of extraordinarily high exit fees by the Cuban government. All refugee admissions count towards the bilateral U.S. Cuba Migration Agreement of September 9, 1994, which provides for the approval of at least 20,000 Cubans annually for legal admission to the U.S. The balance of those admitted are immigrants and parolees.

FY 1998 Proposal
The FY-98 ceiling for Latin America and the Caribbean of 4,000. Virtually all are expected to be admitted via in-country processing in Havana in accordance with the September 9, 1994, U.S.-Cuba Migration Agreement, although individuals of nationalities other than Cuban will be considered on a case-by-case basis in close coordination with UNHCR. There will continue to be some family reunification from Haiti.

Processing Priorities for FY 1998
All nationalities are eligible for Priority One processing. In addition, Cubans are authorized in-country processing under Priority Two.

5. NEAR EAST AND SOUTH ASIA

Refugees from the Middle East continue to represent a major protection and resettlement caseload, according to UNHCR. The majority of refugees in the region identified for resettlement by UNHCR are Iraqis. Iranians represent the second largest group. In addition to Iraqi refugees remaining in the region from the Gulf war, religious and ethnic minorities who fled persecution in Iraq and Iran have sought refuge in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Syria and other countries in the region. When local integration has proved unworkable, UNHCR has looked at family reunification, protection issues and vulnerability in first-asylum status when determining which individuals to refer to resettlement countries.

Resettlement in the Region
Wherever possible, UNHCR has sought to secure local integration of refugees. However, many countries within the region are not signatories to the 1951 UN Convention or its 1967 Protocol. Few countries are willing to offer permanent resettlement to refugees from neighboring countries, but many have been generous in allowing them to remain for long periods.

Third-Country Resettlement
While third-country resettlement is not the preferred solution in most cases, it is the only option for certain refugees at risk in countries of first-asylum.

U.S. Admissions
The Near East/South Asia admissions program primarily addresses the resettlement needs of Iranian and Iraqi refugees dispersed throughout the region and Europe. Most U.S. resettlement processing within the region in recent years has occurred in Turkey, Pakistan, and in the Rafha camp in Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of FY-97, there were fewer than 10,000 Iraqi refugees in Rafha who participated in the unsuccessful uprisings against the regime of Saddam Hussein and subsequently fled Iraq in the wake of the Gulf War. The Rafha camp inhabitants all are considered by UNHCR to be refugees in need of resettlement. UNHCR plans to close Rafha camp, and in 1997 proposed a burden-sharing arrangement for the remaining population, including long-term asylum for those who do not wish resettlement outside the region.

The U.S. admissions program maintains refugee processing posts in Turkey, Egypt, and Europe, where Iranian and Iraqi applicants are processed. INS conducts additional interviewing "circuit rides" elsewhere as needed. In FY 97, INS adjudicated refugee cases in Jordan, Syria, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

FY 1997 Program
The FY-97 ceiling for the Near East and South Asia is 4,000, which included up to 2,000 Iraqi refugees from the Rafha camp in Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. has participated since 1992 in a multi-country resettlement effort led by UNHCR. Resettlement from the region totaled 3,900.

FY 1998 Admissions Program
We believe the U.S. needs to continue its leadership role in the region to encourage burden-sharing. The FY-98 admissions ceiling for the region is 4,000, the same as in FY-97. Iranians and Iraqis referred by UNHCR, Iranian religious minorities, and Iranian and Iraqi refugees following to join relatives already in the U.S. will comprise the majority of the ceiling.

Processing Priorities for FY 1998
All nationalities are eligible for Priority One Processing. Iraqis will be considered in Priority Three, and Iranians will be considered in Priorities Two and Three.

6. UNALLOCATED RESERVE

Included in the FY 97 admissions program was an unallocated reserve of 2,000 funded admissions which could be used for refugees anywhere in the world. In addition, the President authorized an additional 3,000 unfunded admissions that could be used if needed, and if sufficient funds were available, after notifying the Congress. In FY-98, an unallocated reserve of 3,000 unfunded numbers, to be used only under the same terms as in FY-97 for unfunded numbers. The most likely potential need for these numbers is in East Asia (depending on the speed of implementation of ROVR) and in Europe. In addition, the FY 1998 admissions ceiling for Europe, contains 5,000 unfunded numbers to be made available for admissions from the former Soviet Union if the need arises and funds are available within existing appropriations. We monitor admissions levels closely and respond to shifting needs as situations develop or conditions change.

II. Plans for Movement and Resettlement

Applicants for refugee admission to the United States must meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Meet the definition of a refugee contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act--be among those refugees determined by the President to be of special humanitarian concern to the United States;
(2) Be otherwise admissible under United States law; and,
(3) Not be firmly resettled in any foreign country.

Although a refugee may meet the above criteria, the existence of the U.S. refugee admissions program does not create any entitlement for that person to be admitted to the United States. The admissions program is a legal mechanism for admitting refugees who are among those classes of persons of particular interest to the United States. Applicants who meet the criteria specified above and who fall within the priorities established for the relevant nationality or region, are presented to the INS for determination of eligibility for admission under Section 101(a)(42) of the INA.

2. THE WORLDWIDE PRIORITY SYSTEM

The worldwide processing priority system sets guidelines for the orderly management of refugee applications for admission within the established annual regional ceilings. The priority system was revised during FY-97 to reflect trends over the past several years in the world-wide refugee resettlement caseload and to make it more responsive to evolving needs.

The issues of whether a person meets the definition of a refugee under U.S. law and the priority that person may be assigned for consideration of his case are separate and distinct. Assignment of an individual to a particular processing priority does not reflect any judgment as to whether that individual ultimately will qualify for admission to the U.S. as a refugee, although it may reflect an assessment of the urgency of the need for resettlement. Just as qualifying for refugee status does not confer a right to resettlement in the United States, assignment to a particular priority does not entitle a person to admission to the United States as a refugee.

Since FY-97, a member of any nationality may be referred to the U.S. program under Priority One. This reflects the fact that small numbers of many nationalities are found by UNHCR to be in need of resettlement. The U.S. intends that its resettlement program should be flexible and available to any Priority One refugee--regardless of nationality--referred to it for consideration.

Processing Priorities FY 1998 (U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Eligibility for Refugee Processing Priorities FY 1998) 

Note: Members of any nationality group--not only those listed in the table above--may be processed for admission to the United States under Priority (P-1) at any refugee-processing post. (EXCEPTION: Processing of North Koreans, Libyans and Palestinians requires prior consultation with the Department of State and INS headquarters.)

(1) See explanation of those eligible as groups of special concern under Priority (P-2). (See next page.)
(2) On January 1, 1997, new processing guidelines for Bosnians took effect. Those guidelines include a new P-2 category and the phase-out of P-5 processing (See next page.)
(3) In Jan. 1998, the U.S. Government implemented a P-2 processing program for Africa. Under the African P-2, specific and identifiable groups in designated locations will become eligible for resettlement processing. The first group is a caseload of Burundian and Rwandan families of mixed-marriage between Hutus and Tutsis located in a UNHCR protection camp in Tanzania. Other designated groups for P-2 processing will follow.
(4) Registration ended on December 31, 1997.
(5) While all persons who were nationals of the former Soviet Union prior to September 2, 1991 are eligible to be considered for refugee processing by establishing a well-founded fear of persecution, Jews, Evangelical Christians, and Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox religious activists may establish refugee status for U.S. admission by asserting a fear of persecution and asserting a credible basis of concern about the possibility of such persecution.
(6) Vietnamese who were members of certain category groups identified by the INS in 1983 may establish refugee status for U.S. admission by asserting a fear of persecution and asserting a credible basis of concern about the possibility of such persecution.

Priority Two Groups of Special Concern for FY 1998 (Description of U.S. Refugee Processing Priorities FY 1998)

Priority One

UNHCR--referred or U.S. embassy--identified cases: persons facing compelling security concerns in countries of first asylum; persons in need of legal protection because of the danger of refoulement; those in danger due to threats of armed attack in an area where they are located; former political prisoners; women-at-risk; victims of torture or violence; physically or mentally disabled persons; persons in urgent need of medical treatment not available in the first asylum country; and persons for whom other durable solutions are not feasible and whose status in the place of asylum does not present a satisfactory long-term solution.

Priority Two

Africa. Specific groups (within certain nationalities) as identified by the Dept. of State in consultation with NGOs, UNHCR, INS, & other area experts. These identified groups do not create categories of eligibility. Each group will be selected based on its individual circumstances.
Bosnia. Former detainees who were held on account of ethnicity or political religious opinion; persons of any ethnic background in mixed marriages; victims of torture or systematic and significant acts of violence against members of targeted ethnic groups by governmental authorities or quasi-governmental authorities in areas under their control; surviving spouses and unmarried minor children of civilians who would have been eligible under these criteria if they had not died in detention or been killed as a result of torture or violence. (effective Jan. 1, 1997.)

Burma. Certain members of ethnic minorities who have actively and persistently worked for political autonomy; certain political activists engaged in the pro-democracy movement.
Cuba. In-country, emphasis given to former political prisoners, members of persecuted religious minorities, human rights activists, forced-labor conscripts, persons deprived of their professional credentials or subjected to other disproportionately harsh or discriminatory treatment resulting from their perceived or actual political or religious beliefs or activities, dissidents, and other refugees of compelling concern to the United States.

Iran. Members of Iranian religious minorities.

Former Soviet Union. In-country, Jews, Evangelical Christians, and certain members of the Ukrainian Catholic or Orthodox churches. Preference among these groups is accorded to those with close family in the United States.

Vietnam. In-country, former reeducation camp detainees who spent more than three years in detention camps subsequent to April 1975 because of pre-1975 association with the U.S. government of the former SouthVietnamese government; certain former U.S. Government employees and other specified individuals or groups of concern; persons who returned from first-asylum camps in Southeast Asia on or after October 1, 1995 who qualify for consideration under the Resettlement Opportunities for Vietnamese Returnees (ROVR) criteria; and, on a case-by-case basis, other individuals who have experienced persecution because of post-1975 political, religious, or human rights activities.

Priority Three

Spouses, unmarried sons and daughters, and parents of persons lawfully admitted to the United States as permanent resident aliens, refugees, asylees, conditional residents, and certain parolees; unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens; and parents of U.S. citizens under 21 years of age. For Liberians registration ended on December 31, 1997. Liberians whose Affidavits of Relationships were signed, notarized, and submitted to a PRM-designates voluntary agency in the U.S. on or before December 31, 1997 and received by JVA-Kenya by March 31, 1998 will be eligible to apply for admission for the remainder of FY 1998. (Spouses and children of U.S. citizens and the parents of U.S. citizens who have attained the age of 21 are required by regulation to be admitted as immigrants rather than as refugees.)

Priority Four

Grandparents, grandchildren, married sons and daughters, and siblings of U.S. citizens and persons lawfully admitted to the United States as permanent resident aliens, refugees, asylees, conditional residents, and certain parolees. (Currently open only to Bosnians and without regard to ethnicity.)

Priority Five

No registration available under this category in FY 1998. In FY 1997 available only for Bosnian Muslims. Registration ended on March 31, 1997. Bosnian Muslims who had Affidavits of Relationship signed, notarized, and submitted to a PRM-designated voluntary agency in the U.S. on or before March 31, 1997 are eligible to be processed for admission during FY 1998.

3. FY 1998 PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION

Presidential Determination No. 97-37

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT: Presidential Determination on FY 1998 Refugee Admissions Numbers and Authorizations of In-Country Refugee Status Pursuant to Sections 207 and 101(a)(42), Respectively, of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and Determination Pursuant to Section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, as Amended

In accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("the Act") (8 U.S.C. 1157), as amended, and after appropriate consultation with Congress, I hereby make the following determinations and authorize the following actions:

The admissions of up to 83,000 refugees to the United States during FY 1998 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest; provided, however, that this number shall be understood as including persons admitted to the United States during FY 1998 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under the Amerasian immigrant admissions program, as provided below.

The 83,000 admissions shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following regional allocations; provided, however, that the number allocated to the East Asia region shall include persons admitted to the United States during FY 1998 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, as contained in section 101(e) of Public Law 100-202 (Amerasian immigrants and their family members); provided further that the number allocated to the former Soviet Union shall include persons admitted who were nationals of the former Soviet Union, or in the case of persons having no nationality, who were habitual residents of the former Soviet Union, prior to September 2, 1991:

Africa 7,000
East Asia 14,000
Europe 51,000
Latin America/Caribbean 4,000
Near East/South Asia 4,000
Unallocated 3,000

Within the Europe ceiling are 5,000 unfunded reserve numbers allocated to the former Soviet Union for use as needed provided that resources within existing appropriations are available to fund the cost of their admission. The 3,000 unfunded unallocated numbers shall be allocated as needed if resources within existing appropriations are available to fund the cost of their admission. Unused admissions numbers allocated to a particular region within the 75,000 federally funded ceiling may be transferred to one or more other regions if there is an overriding need for greater numbers for the region or regions to which the numbers are being transferred. You are hereby authorized and directed to consult with the Judiciary Committees of the Congress prior to any such use of the unallocated numbers or reallocation of numbers from one region to another.

Pursuant to section 2(b) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2601(b)(2), I hereby determine that assistance to or on behalf of persons applying for admissions to the United States as part of the overseas refugee admissions program will contribute to the foreign policy interests of the United States and designate such persons for this purpose.

An additional 10,000 refugee admissions numbers shall be made available during FY 1998 for the adjustment to permanent resident status under section 209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1159(b)) of aliens who have been granted asylum in the United States under section 208 of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1158), as this justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.

In accordance with section 101(a)(42)(B) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 (a)(42) and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I also specify that, for FY 1998, the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admissions to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence:

A. Persons in Vietnam
B. Persons in Cuba
C. Persons in the former Soviet Union

You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the Congress immediately and to publish it in the Federal Register.

cc: The Attorney General
The Secretary of Health and Human Services

4. INS REFUGEE PROCESSING

Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) grants the Attorney General the authority to admit, at her discretion, any refugee who is not firmly resettled in a third country, who is determined to be of special humanitarian concern, and who is admissible to the United States as an immigrant. This authority has been delegated to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

In both overseas refugee processing and domestic asylum proceedings, INS has the statutory role of decision-maker, determining who meets the requirements for refugee status.

INS Overseas Operations
The INS offices overseas have a variety of responsibilities, administered by three District Offices located in Bangkok, Mexico City, and Rome. One of the most important responsibilities of the INS overseas program is refugee processing. The percentage of time each office devotes to this activity depends on the refugee workload, as well as the staffing pattern and priorities in the office. In FY 97, overseas staffing was augmented by temporary duty personnel from domestic asylum offices. Circuit rides to process refugees are arranged as needed by the INS office having geographic jurisdiction.

Case Presentation to INS
A refugee applicant generally proceeds through the following steps before his interview with an INS officer: an applicant is referred to a voluntary agency or Joint Voluntary Agency (JVA) for pre-screening; if the applicant is of special humanitarian concern and within a processing priority eligible for U.S. consideration, the voluntary agency or JVA prepares the case for submission to INS by assisting the applicant in filling out a request for refugee status, a biographic information form, and other documents.

The Eligibility Determination
Eligibility for refugee status is decided on an individual, case-by-case basis. A personal interview of the applicant is conducted by an INS officer. The interview is non-adversarial and is designed to elicit information about the applicant's claim for refugee status. Questions are asked about the reasons for the applicant's departure from his or her country, political or religious beliefs or activities, and problems or fears the applicant may have had or will have if returned to his or her home country.

The determination of a well-founded fear of persecution requires judging both objective and subjective elements of an applicant's claim. Conditions in the country of origin are taken into consideration and the applicant's credibility is assessed.

Persecution is the most difficult element of the refugee definition to analyze and apply. While there is no universally accepted definition of the term "persecution," it normally includes a threat to life or freedom or other serious human-rights abuse. Discrimination in the treatment of various groups is not, per se, persecution but at times an accumulation of discriminatory measures may involve such a significant denial of opportunities to participate in a society that it constitutes a threat to freedom. Economic hardship is not itself a basis for eligibility for refugee status, but persecution may take the form of economic reprisals, such as denial of the opportunity to work.

Under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), the definition of refugee was expanded to include persons who have resisted or been subjected to, or have a well-founded fear of being subjected to coercive population control measures.

Post-Interview Processing
After interview, an applicant found eligible for refugee status must have a medical examination and security name check, and receive a sponsorship assurance. A refugee admission number, deducted from the annual ceiling, is allocated. Transportation arrangements generally are made through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the refugee signs a promissory note, promising repayment of the cost of airfare.

At the U.S. port of entry, INS admits a refugee to the United States and authorizes employment. After one year, a refugee is eligible for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident. Five years after admission, a refugee is eligible to apply for naturalization.

B. The Resettlement Process

The Department of State enters into cooperative agreements with private voluntary agencies-- sometimes referred to as Joint Voluntary Agencies or "JVAs"--to assist in the processing of refugees for admission to the United States. These agencies pre-screen applicants to determine if they fall within the applicable processing priorities and otherwise appear eligible to be scheduled for an INS refugee interview. In some cases, individuals who appear to qualify for immigration to the U.S. are also advised of those procedures. In addition, prior to interview, they assist the applicant in completing the documentary requirements of the program. If approved, voluntary agency staff guide the refugee through post-adjudication steps such as obtaining medical and sponsorship assurances. In FY-98, voluntary agencies will be working under contract to the Department of State at locations in Thailand, Spain, Turkey, Austria, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Croatia.

2. OVERSEAS CULTURAL ORIENTATION

The Department of State strives to ensure that refugees who are accepted for admission to the United States are prepared for the significant changes they will experience during resettlement. It is critical that refugees arrive with a realistic view of what their new lives will be like, what services are available to them, and what their responsibilities will be. The goal of the pre-departure orientation efforts is to ensure that all refugees receive such information before departure. Every refugee family receives Welcome to the United States, the resettlement guidebook written in 1996 by refugee resettlement workers and resettled refugees, working in conjunction with Federal and State government officials. Welcome to the United States is produced in a number of refugee languages. Through this book, all refugees have access to a basic core of consistent and accurate information about resettlement before they arrive. The material in Welcome is also available through a series of videos. In addition, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration enters into cooperative agreements for pre-departure cultural orientation training for eligible refugees at selected sites throughout the world.

3. TRANSPORTATION

The Department of State makes available funds for the transportation of refugees resettled in the United States through a program administered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The cost of transportation is provided to refugees in the form of a loan. Beneficiaries are responsible for repaying these costs over time after they arrive in the U.S.

4. INITIAL RECEPTION PLACEMENT

Ten private voluntary agencies are responsible for providing initial resettlement services to refugees during their first 90 days in the United States, and for oversight of "free cases" (those without relatives in the United States) for six months. These programs are administered under the Reception and Placement (R&P) program of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. Voluntary agencies received $720 per capita in FY-97, which was to be used along with cash and in-kind contributions from private and other sources. Services that these resettlement agencies provide include:

(1) Sponsorship;
(2) Pre-arrival resettlement planning;
(3) Reception;
(4) Basic needs support for 30 days;
(5) Community orientation; and
(6) Health, employment, and other necessary counseling and referral services.

The demographic characteristics of arrivals from the 12 largest source countries (which contributed over 99% of FY 1996 arrivals into the U.S.) illustrate the considerable variation among refugee groups. Median age varied from a high of over 36 years for arrivals from the former U.S.S.R. to less than 16 years for arrivals from Ethiopia and Laos. The percentage of female (31%) and male (68%) arrivals from Cuba varied substantially from the percentage of female (54%) and male (46%) arrivals from Rwanda. The median age for all refugees in FY 1996 was 29 years compared to 35 for the U.S. population. The percentage of female refugees (45%) was 10% less than the percentage of male refugees (55%) compared to approximately 51% female and 49% male for the U.S. See Table III below.

Country of Origin	Rank (# of Arrivals)	Median Age	% Female/ % Male
Cuba	2	29.8	30.8 / 68.4
Ethiopia	11	15.9	52.9 / 47.1
Haiti	10	24.5	48.2 / 51.6
Iran	8	27.3	50.0 / 50.0
Iraq	6	26.3	24.7 / 75.2
Laos	7	15.2	47.0 / 53.0
Somalia	5	17.5	48.1 / 51.9
Sudan	9	19.6	42.7 / 57.3
U.S.S.R. (former)	1	36.2	53.2 / 46.8
Vietnam	3	27.1	48.3 / 51.7
Yugoslavia (former)	4	27.2	48.0 / 51.9
Rwanda	12	17.3	54.3 / 45.7
All other countries	--	18.2	48.1 / 51.9

Considerable variation among refugee groups can also be seen among specific age categories. Arrivals under the age of five varied from a high of 18% for Laotians to a low of zero percent for Ethiopians. Arrivals of school age (5 to 17 years of age) varied from a high of 62% for Ethiopians to a low of 11% for Cubans. Arrivals of working age (16 to 64 years of age) varied from a high of 85% for Cubans to a low of 45% for Laotians. And arrivals of retirement age (65 years old or older) varied from a high of 15% for arrivals from the former U.S.S.R. to a low of 0% for Ethiopians, Haitians, and Rwandans. For all arrivals, approximately 6% were under the age of five, approximately 21% were school age, approximately 69% were of working age, and approximately 7% were of retirement age. See Table IV below.

Country of Origin	Under 5 Years	School Age (5-17)	Working Age (16-64)	Retirement Age (= or > 65)
Cuba	3.5	10.5	85.4	1.8
Ethiopia	0.0	62.4	49.4	0.0
Haiti	5.7	21.1	78.6	0.0
Iran	5.9	26.9	64.4	6.2
Iraq	8.1	13.3	79.4	0.8
Laos	17.6	38.2	45.3	2.9
Somalia	11.7	39.7	53.7	1.5
Sudan	14.2	32.1	58.7	0.5
U.S.S.R. (former)	6.5	19.0	61.9	15.3
Vietnam	3.4	27.5	67.7	4.2
Yugoslavia (former)	7.5	23.7	70.1	2.4
Rwanda	10.1	40.3	51.2	0.0
All other countries	7.3	42.6	55.6	0.8

B. Geographic Distribution

During FY 1996, 78.4% of newly arrived refugees resettled in 14 States. Florida (17.7%) received the largest number of refugees, followed by California (14.9%), New York (13.9 percent), Washington (4.7%), Texas (4.5%), Illinois (3.8%), Pennsylvania (2.9%), Georgia (2.9%), Massachusetts (2.6%), Michigan (2.5%), Minnesota (2.2%), Missouri (2.0%), Arizona (1.9%), and Virginia (1.8%). Table VII presents arrivals by State of initial resettlement for FY 1996.

In FY 1996, the 12 largest source countries (which contributed over 99% of FY 1996 arrivals into the U.S.) included the former U.S.S.R. (31.5%), Cuba (21.9%), Vietnam (18.3%), the former Yugoslavia (12.9%), Somalia (6.9%), Iraq (2.9%), Laos (2.4%), Iran (1.3%), Sudan (0.6%), Haiti (0.4%), Ethiopia (0.2%), and Rwanda (0.1%). Table VIII presents arrivals by country of origin for FY 1996 with both the former U.S.S.R. and the former Yugoslavia disaggregated.

Florida received more Cubans and Haitians than all other States combined. California received more Ethiopians, Iranians, Laotians, Somalis, and Vietnamese than any other State. Texas received more Sudanese than any other State. New York received more arrivals from the former U.S.S.R. than any other State. Illinois received more arrivals from the former Yugoslavia than any other State. Michigan received more arrivals from Iraq than any other State. Pennsylvania received more arrivals from Rwanda than any other State.

Arrivals from the leading source country, the former U.S.S.R., were received primarily by New York (34.8%). However, California and Washington also received a relatively large number of arrivals from the former U.S.S.R. (18.4% and 8.2%, respectively). Arrivals from the second leading source country, Cuba, were received primarily by Florida (70.0%). However, Texas, New Jersey, and New York also received some Cubans (3.0%, 3.0%, and 2.4%, respectively). Arrivals from the third leading source country, Vietnam, were received primarily by California (25.5%). However, Texas, Georgia, and Washington also received a relatively large number of arrivals from Vietnam (10.8%, 7.0%, and 6.9%, respectively ). Table IX presents the top 12 source country arrivals by State of initial resettlement.

Agency	Estimated Funding FY-97(1) (by activity)	Estimated Funding FY-98(2) (by activity)
Department of Justice: Immigration and Naturalization Service
Refugee Processing	15.5	16.5
Department of State: Bureau for Population, Refugee, and Migration
Refugee Admissions	90.0	102.4
Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement(3)
Refugee Resettlement	426.6	395.7
Total	532.1	514.6

¹Estimates for full fiscal year, based on agencies' projections as of July 1, 1997, for the funded admission of up to 78,000 refugees and 20,000 entrant arrivals, and 6,600 Kurdish asylees.
²Figures are based on the Administration's Budget Request for FY 1998, for the funded admission of up to 75,000 refugees and 20,000 entrant arrivals. At the time this Report was prepared, Congress had not yet completed action on that request.
³Does not include costs associated with the Transitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, or SSI programs.

Resettlement Countries with Annual Quotas	South-east Asia/ Other	CPA Vietnamese	CPA Lao	Middle East/ SW Asia	Africa	Europe, Including Former Yugoslavia	Latin America	Total
Australia	122	149	0	1,183	482	882	0	2,818
Canada	219	53	0	1,141	965	634	8	3,020
Denmark	2	26	0	445	484	85	0	1,042
Finland	0	6	0	589	110	285	0	990
Netherlands	0	1	0	208	52	29	0	290
Norway	0	3	0	354	55	217	0	629
New Zealand	25	36	56	47	189	0	0	353
Sweden	0	11	0	456	195	225	0	887
Switzerland	0	1		71	7	12	0	91
United States	26	87	2,772	2,738	7,457	3,852	0	16932
Other*	0	107	0	250	326	475	3	1,161
Total	394	480	2,828	7,482	10322	6,696	11	28213

* Mainly to France, Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom
Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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