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Who Are Refugees?
Refugees are defined under international law as being outside their home country and having a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Refugees are legal immigrants to the U.S.
Refugee 101 – To learn more about refugees, click here to sign up for a virtual Refugee 101 by CityWide Tucson.
What is the difference between a refugee, asylee, SIV and immigrant?
- Refugee: Any person outside his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution.
- Asylee: A person who seeks permission to stay in another country.
- SIV: Available to persons who worked with U.S. Armed Forces.
- Immigrant: A person who comes to a country to permanently settle from another country.
Refugee Status Determination, or RSD, is the legal or administrative process by which governments or UNHCR determine whether a person seeking international protection is considered a refugee under international, regional or national law. RSD is often a vital process in helping refugees realize their rights under international law. If you are approved as a refugee, you will receive a medical exam, a cultural orientation, help with your travel plans, and a loan for your travel to the United States. After you arrive, you will be eligible for medical and cash assistance. For more information on benefits available to refugees, please see the Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement page.
Eligibility for US Resettlement – Guide covering the eligibility criteria, exclusion criteria, and benefits to receiving refugee status by CitizenPath.
Cultural Orientations to Life in The US – Refugees are provided a cultural orientation to their new lives in the United States. These orientations are part of a mandatory package of services for refugees categorized as “Reception and Placement.” To access comprehensive information and resources about cultural orientations and services, visit the Cultural Orientation Resource Center website.
- Reports about Refugee Resettlement
Arizona Refugee Arrivals Report – Updated 01/15/2021 This report shows the numbers of refugees from all countries who have resettled in Arizona since the beginning of the resettlement program. The most common countries refugees in Arizona come from today include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Iraq, and Burundi.
UNHCR Global Trends Forced Displacement in 2019 – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees report on Displaced People for 2019 is a summary report that includes data of where people were displaced from and where they migrated to.
Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2021 – Report to Congress made by the president. The President proposes resettling up to 15,000 refugees under the FY 2021 refugee admissions ceiling, and anticipates receiving new asylum claims that include more than 290,000 individuals. This proposed refugee admissions ceiling reflects the continuing backlog of over 1.1 million asylum-seekers who are awaiting adjudication of their claims inside the United States, and it accounts for the arrival of refugees whose resettlement in the United States was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.