Refugees have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership to a particular social or political opinion. A refugee is unable or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail herself of protection of the country of her origin. Refugees in the United States are here by the invitation of the government. DHS OIS Annual Flow Report Refugee and Asylees 2009.
Asylees, much like refugees, are individuals who are unable or unwilling to return to their country of nationality or habitual residence because of persecution or a well-founded fear. Unlike refugees, asylees declare their intent at the port of entry or while living in the U.S. If granted asylum, asylees are able to access services and benefits the same as refugees. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 22,119 people were granted asylum in the United States in 2009.
How many refugees are there in the world? It is estimated that up to 80% of the world’s refugees are women and children. At the beginning of 2011, the number of refugees worldwide was 10.4 million, excluding 4.7 million Palestinian refugees. Leading refugee countries of origin, 2009: For 2009 arrivals into the What options are available to refugees? As many as 7 million of the current refugee population have been in refugee camps or segregated settlements for ten years or more.
What is the difference between refugees and immigrants? Immigrants are individuals and families who migrate to another country by choice or economic necessity. As of 2009, there are an estimated 36.7 million people in the US who are foreign-born 1(2 percent of the total population). All Americans except Native Americans can trace their ancestry to immigrants. Immigrants enter the United States in various visa categories and have an option to become permanent residents and naturalized citizens of the U.S. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), much like refugees, are people who were forced to flee their homes because their lives were in danger. Unlike refugees, they have not crossed international borders. Therefore, they are not eligible for protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, there are currently 27.1 million internally displaced persons worldwide. IDPs outnumber refugees nearly two to one. IDPs are often caught between fighting factions or in remote and inaccessible areas. They end up with very limited access to food, employment, education, health care and security.
Afghanistan: 2.9 million
Iraq: 1.8 million
Somalia: 678,000
Democratic Republic of the
Congo: 456,000
Myanmar/Burma: 13,452
US specifically:
Afghanistan: 74,602
Iraq: 18,838
Myanmar/Burma: 18,202
Bhutan: 13,452
Source: UNHCR Statistical Yearbook
Refugees have three options available to them:
1) voluntary repatriation to their home country
2) permanent local integration, if the country of first asylum agrees to settle them
3) resettlement to a third country, after a lengthy application process