The following op-ed appeared in the Burlington Free Press on Sunday, November 29, 2015.
The
recent tragic attacks by terrorists in Paris and other places have
created a sense of anxiety not only in Europe, which is dealing with
tens of thousands of refugees from the Middle East, but among us
Americans halfway around the world as well. This anxiety has
unfortunately prompted a reaction by many prominent leaders and by a
considerable segment of the public to demand that we close our doors
to those refugees for fear that a terrorist will be among those we
might admit.
I
hope that cooler heads will prevail and that we will reject such
xenophobic attitudes. Failure to do so will make the refugees fleeing
from ISIS violence double victims of the terrorists. Our humanity
calls on us to put ourselves in the shoes of families who want
nothing more than to find safety and shelter for their children just
as we ourselves would do if faced with the same situation. Turning
our backs on them would make us complicit in their victimization.
For this reason I applaud President Obama, Secretary Kerry, our
Congressional delegation and Governor Shumlin for doing our part in
offering sanctuary.
Of
course U.S. authorities will have to carefully vet the candidates for
asylum, and I am convinced that they will be able to do so.
According to the U.S. State Department Reception and Placement
overview
(http://www.state.gov/j/prm/ra/receptionplacement/index.htm),
the process involves the United Nations, the United States, and local
agencies. For each refugee the UN review takes one to 18 months to
complete, including registration, comparison of personal information
to other ID information, prioritization based on special
circumstances such as torture victims, and qualification and
determination for country placement. If UNHCR thinks the US is good
fit, they send all the paperwork to US officials.
Once
the US receives the paperwork, it can take up to another two years to
process. Homeland Security does security checks and interviews
refugees overseas, health screenings are conducted, and additional
high-level security checks are made against all US law-enforcement
databases. If approved, the US passes the case along to a local
non-governmental resettlement agency to facilitate entry.
In
the Placement and Resettlement process 9 domestic resettlement
agencies meet and review biographic information and other case
records from overseas Resettlement Support Centers weekly. These
agencies match local communities (about 109 across the country) with
specific resources to the incoming refugees. Communities must have
interpreters, available housing, English classes, employment
services, medical care, and schools that can accommodate the
refugees. Refugees are met at the airport, taken to the provided
housing, receive employment authorization, and are in touch with the
Department of State’s Reception and Placement Program for 3 months
after arrival.
The
Vermont Refugee Resettlement office, which receives 300-350 refugees
annually, has seen families come in from all over the world –
Bosnia, the Congo, Malaysia, India, Iraq, Somalia, and Nepal. Out of
the approximately 300 refugees Vermont accepts each year, on average
200 of them have been employable adults. This has been consistent for
the last 5 years. The center has an 80% placement rate for employment
and works with numerous businesses in Chittenden County to train and
employ refugees. Out of the center's 13 full time equivalent
employees, 11 are former refugees. Information about the center can
be found on Facebook: Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program/USCRI.
So,
as we count our blessings in Thanksgiving for this wonderful land
we’ve been blessed to live in, let us remember that there, but for
the grace of God and circumstance of birth, are we, and welcome into
our community these refugees who want to begin a new life in freedom
and safety.
- Rep. Mike Yantachka, Charlotte, VT
