09/05/2007

1. Why are Iraqis being resettled to the U.S.?

During the Saddam Hussein regime, the United States resettled around 20,000 Iraqi refugees between 1992 and 1997, especially the Kurds and others who were associated with the U.S. Government following the Gulf War in 1991. Countries of the Gulf and broader region also absorbed several thousand Iraqi refugees. Thousands of other Iraqi refugees went to Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While there were refugees, there was not a mass exodus like today. Yet since 2003, the U.S. has resettled less than 1,500 Iraqi refugees.

Many Iraqis were reluctant to leave the country after the Iraq conflict began in 2003. But as violence escalated throughout the country, the number of Iraqis seeking asylum in neighboring countries swelled dramatically in early 2006. It is estimated that there are now more than 2 million Iraqi refugees throughout the Middle East, mostly in Jordan and Syria. Another 2 million Iraqis have been displaced within Iraq.

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 2,000 Iraqis are newly displaced per day. By the end of 2007, estimates are that the number of displaced Iraqis will have grown to 5.5 million people. This is the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since the Palestinian one that followed the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

2. Are Iraqi Refugees Subjected to Thorough Security Screenings?

Currently, there are over four million displaced Iraqis in the Middle East. Over 160,000 Iraqis have registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the vast majority of these have requested resettlement overseas. The United States will only accept 7,000 referrals for fiscal year (FY) 2007, of which 2,000-3,000 may be approved in FY2007.

Every individual refugee has to undergo rigorous security, background, and health checks before they are admitted through the U.S. Refugee Program (USRP). First, UNHCR must determine that the refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution if returned to his country of origin, and that he or she is not excludable for having committed acts against humanity or war crimes. This first step can take several months. If a refugee is selected to move forward in the process, he or she will undergo up to six more interviews and security checks. In addition to checking the facts of a refugee’s individual persecution claim, bio-data is collected during these interviews. UNHCR staff is trained to identify a range of exclusion “triggers,” which lead to a more rigorous examination and possible disqualification from resettlement.

If a refugee is referred to the USRP, a U.S. government-approved and funded resettlement organization interviews the refugee and compiles more extensive personal data and background information, which is forwarded to the U.S. State Department for confirmation that the refugee has not been identified as a security or other concern by the U.S. If no concerns are identified, the U.S. embassy schedules an interview for the refugee with an officer of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) during a “circuit ride.” It is the job of the USCIS officer to identify any bars to admission.

Even if a person is recognized as a refugee under U.S. law, he may be denied admission for a variety of reasons including criminal, national security and health. For instance, a refugee is barred from admission if he or she has participated in or provided any support to a terrorist organization. It is the refugee's burden to demonstrate that he or she is eligible for admission into the U.S.

If there are no bars to admission, a USCIS officer approves the application and forwards it to the U.S. State Department. The refugee is fingerprinted and photographed and both identifiers are checked against multiple databases for any adverse factors. For refugees who are being reunited with family members in the U.S., USCIS reviews the files of relatives to ensure that all of the information is consistent with the refugee’s claims.

Each approved case is referred to the FBI and CIA for a further security review called a Security Advisory Opinion (SAO). Iraqis are subject to an “enhanced” SAO threshold. If a refugee is cleared by the FBI and CIA, the case is submitted to the State Department for final review and approval for admission.

Upon arrival in a U.S. designated airport, a USCIS officer again interviews the refugee and compares the photographs in U.S. embassy records to ensure the person arriving is the same person who was screened and approved for admission. The USCIS officer will also issue the refugee photo identification that confirms his or her identity and authorizes his or her employment in the U.S. The refugee is required to file a change of address form within 10 days of any residential move.

3. Are Iraqis educated? Do they speak English? What are their typical occupations?

Prior to UN economic sanctions (1990-2003) and the current conflict, Iraq had one of the most highly educated, urban populations in the Middle East. There was a large middle class of professionals and a strong university system. Today, some of the most vulnerable groups being persecuted in Iraq include intellectuals, doctors, teachers, engineers and other professionals. Many of these professionals speak English well. In addition, there are many successful Iraqi businessmen and other tradesmen.

4. Is U.S. the only country taking in Iraqi refugees? Are other countries sharing the responsibility?

To date, the U.S. pledged to resettle up to 7,000 Iraqi refugees in calendar year 2007. It is likely however that only 2,000 will be processed in fiscal year 2007. Canada will accept approximately 5,000 and Australia will take around 1,000. There are also thousands of Iraqi asylum seekers in Europe. At an April 2007 Conference on Iraqi refugees in Geneva, the U.S. stated that it could take up to 25,000 Iraqi refugees.

One of the most vulnerable groups of refugees from Baghdad are the Palestinians, who have been denied asylum by most of the world’s countries. These families include men, women, children and the elderly. Brazil agreed to take 100; Canada has taken around 30; New Zealand accepted some on a humanitarian basis; and the U.S. has taken only four.

5. Are there any specific ethnic or religious groups among Iraqi refugees that have been singled out for resettlement in the U.S.?

The Iraqi refugees that will be resettled to the U.S. will include all ethnic and religious groups. Though Iraq is primarily Arab and Islamic, there are many other groups who have also sought asylum in neighboring countries, including Chaldeans, Assyrians, Mandaeans, Palestinians, Sudanese and other populations living in Baghdad prior to the war. Much of the current Iraqi population in the U.S. is Shiite, Kurdish, Chaldean and Mandaean, which are the populations we anticipate will be among the first arrivals.

6. Will Resettlement Solve the Iraqi Refugee Crisis?

As a humanitarian leader, the U.S. pledge to resettle some Iraqi refugees is a welcomed first step. Still, it is equally important that the U.S. show its leadership in the region by matching its response to the humanitarian needs of those refugees and internally displaced persons who will not be resettled.

The influx of desperate refugees has put great strains on refugee receiving countries. In some cases, they have closed or threatened to close their borders to additional refugees. Many refugees do not have legal status in their countries of asylum. Deportations are on the rise and tensions are growing among refugees and between refugees and host communities.

Many refugees are poor and are struggling to survive in poor urban areas in Amman, Damascus, Beirut and Cairo. Since refugees are not allowed to work legally in these countries, they have no safe way to provide for their families. A number of refugee families are headed by women, and there are increasing reports of women and girls engaging in prostitution and of children working, all to help their families survive. There are also reports of domestic violence linked to the pressures of living without legal status, the inability to work and the lack of access to basic services. Moreover, few children have access to schooling.

Resettlement will help alleviate this crisis, but it is only part of the solution to the problem. The U.S. will need to exert its leadership to ensure that relevant international organizations, non-governmental organizations and host countries are properly funded in order to respond to the growing needs of this population.

This fact sheet was prepared by Refugee Council USA.