Syrian Refugees, U.S. Resettlement Policies, and Community Response

STILLWELCOME

The Syrian Community Network is a nonprofit with the mission to empower Syrian

refugees in achieving a seamless transition and relocation to the United States

through connecting people to the right services and support networks. We envision

a matured wave of Syrian refugees who are well-integrated into the culture of

American society and are leading goal-filled lives. SCN was established by a

diverse team of community members with intentions to aid and to assist in easing

the resettlement of Syrian refugees.

Numerous Syrian Community Network leaders, volunteers, and partners contributed

to this report, including Suzanne Akhras Sahloul, Maya Atassi, Shannon Sweetnam,

Yara Ayache, Heba Hanna, Mona Megahed, Ahmad Alatrash, Fatuma Haji, Rana Sammani,

Ayman Akil, and Zoe Sahloul from New England Arab American Organization (NEAAO).

We would like to thank the leaders from our chapters in Chicago, San Diego,

Atlanta, and Tucson for their feedback and dedicated work. This report was written

by Kathleen Fallon.

On behalf of our board members and founders, thank you Oxfam America for supporting

this report, and to our generous community and all who support our work.

Above all, we would like to thank and dedicate this report to the refugee families

we serve, and to all Syrian refugees and displaced persons around the world who

have been forced to leave their homes.

COVER PHOTO CREDIT: SAN DIEGO SCN CHAPTER

REPORT DESIGNER: ISAAC VERSAW

PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2019

ABOUT SYRIAN COMMUNITY NETWORK TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1

911141721334753

53

GLOSSARY

FORWARD

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISIS

SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT

SYRIAN REFUGEE ADMISSIONS TO THE U.S.

RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM AND POLICIES

EXPERIENCES OF RESETTLED SYRIAN REFUGEES

COMMUNITY RESPONSE

RECOMMENDATIONS

21

GLOSSARY

ASYLUM SEEKERAn asylum seeker is a person who flees their home

country, enters another country seeking international

protection (i.e. applies for asylum), but has yet to

be recognized as a refugee. Relevant immigration

authorities of the country of asylum determine

whether the asylum seeker will be granted protection

and become officially recognized as a refugee, or

“asylee.” During the time that their asylum claim is

being examined, asylum seekers must not be forced to

return to their country of origin.

EXECUTIVE ORDER An executive order is a directive issued by the U.S.

president to set federal policy without the approval

of Congress. The legality of individual executive

orders can be challenged by federal courts.

FISCAL YEARThe U.S. government’s Fiscal Year (FY) runs from

October 1 to September 30 of each year.

PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATIONThe Presidential Determination for Refugee Admissions

is put forth by the U.S. president each fiscal year

after consultations with Congress and other federal

agencies. The Presidential Determination sets the

annual number of refugee admissions.

REFUGEE According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee

is any person who “owing to well-founded fear of

being persecuted for reasons of race, religion,

nationality, membership of a particular social group

or political opinion, is outside the country of his

nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is

unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that

country; or who, not having a nationality and being

outside the country of his former habitual residence

as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to

such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT Resettlement is the transfer of “vulnerable” refugees

from an asylum country or host country to which they

have initially fled, to another safe third country

that has agreed to admit them and grant them permanent

settlement.

SCN Syrian Community Network

TPS Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was created in the

Immigration Act of 1990. It is a temporary immigration

status provided to people from certain countries

facing armed conflict, environmental disaster,

or other extraordinary and temporary conditions,

allowing them to stay and work in the U.S. for the

period of time that the U.S. government makes the

designation.

UNHCR UN Refugee Agency (UN High Commissioner

for Refugees)

USRAPU.S. Refugee Admissions Program

43

As I write this, the news has just come in that the White House has

slashed refugee admissions almost by half, to an unprecedented low,

capping the fiscal year 2020 resettlement number at 18,000. At the same

time, a coinciding Executive Order announcement is instituting a policy

where refugees will be resettled "only in those jurisdictions in which

both the State and local governments have consented to receive refugees,"

though refugee resettlement has always been under federal jurisdiction.

We hear stories each day of Syrian refugees being forcibly returned to

Syria from neighboring countries, their lives being put in grave danger

- in the last three months alone, at least 2,500 Syrian refugees have

been forcibly deported from Lebanon1. We witness a rise in hate crimes,

many targeting immigrants and refugees. And on the southern border of

the U.S., we hear the heartbreaking stories of men, women, and children

forced to live in inhumane conditions, with more than 2,000 children

separated from their parents, for seeking asylum and opportunity.

We are in a time where the system designed to support and give refuge to

the most vulnerable people is being dismantled.

Lost in the discourse about tightening borders and reducing the cap on

admissions is the fact that refugees are not numbers; they are women,

men, and children who were forced to leave their homes. Nobody asks to

be a refugee, and nobody wants to leave their home country. People don't

risk drowning in the sea on a boat unless the water is safer than land.

Resettlement is the last resort for refugees.

Now is the critical time to remind our government that refugees

are welcome.

As the founder of the Syrian Community Network, I am inspired each day by

the remarkable successes, hard work, and open hearts of the individuals

and families I work with. Over the past three years,

1 Amnesty International, “Lebanon: Authorities must immediately halt deportation

of Syrian refugees,” 27 August 2019: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/

news/2019/08/lebanon-authorities-must-immediately-halt-deportation-of-syri-

an-refugees/

we have served over 3,500 refugees with rent assistance, hands-on and

culturally appropriate case management support, and innovative programming

aimed at employment, empowerment and mentorship. Self-sufficiency is at

the heart of our work. I have also seen the kindness and generosity

in community members, students, faith-based communities, and of entire

towns coming together across the country to support newly resettled

refugees. Especially since the “travel bans” were initiated, designed to

prevent refugees of certain backgrounds such as Syrians from entering the

U.S., we have seen an outpouring of love from strangers to new refugees,

wanting to reinforce that they are welcome and they are home.

The experiences of Syrian refugees in the U.S. - from the reasons they

were forced to leave Syria, the path and experience of their displacement,

their challenges upon arrival here, their goals for the future - are as

diverse as the cities and towns in which they have settled. Our goal in

this report is to give a platform to the experiences and perspectives of

resettled Syrian refugees, whom we are honored to serve. We hope this

report can serve as a resource for others on the current challenges

that Syrian refugees in the U.S. face. We put this report together to

emphasize the short and long-term impact of drastic refugee admissions

cuts, and serve as a tool to advocate for the strengthening of the

refugee resettlement program.

With gratitude,

Suzanne Akhras Sahloul

Founder & Executive Director

Syrian Community Network

FORWARD

65

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

2 UNHCR, “Resettlement Data.” Updated June 2019: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/

resettlement-data.html.

The conflict and atrocities against civilians

in Syria have created the largest refugee crisis

in the world, with 5.6 million Syrians forced to

flee from their country. When refugees cannot

safely return to their home country, as is the

case for the vast majority of Syrians, or remain

in a host country, there is another, often

life-saving option: resettlement in a third

country. The U.S. has been the global leader

in refugee resettlement, particularly since

the passage of the 1980 Refugee Act. However,

while the world faces the highest levels of

displacement on record, refugee admissions to

the U.S. are at a historic low - particularly

the FY2020 refugee admissions cap of 18,000

- and in the last two years the U.S. has cut

the number of refugees it admits more than any

other resettling country.2

A total of 21,559 Syrian refugees have been

admitted to the U.S. since 2012. However,

between 2016 and now, there has been a 96% drop

in admittance of Syrian refugees.

Since the Trump administration took office

in 2017, there have been numerous policy

changes - from the historic cuts to refugee

admissions, to budget reductions for the

U.S. Refugee Assistance Program, to three

Presidential Executive Orders denying admission

to refugees from specific nationalities, most

notably Syrians - designed to dismantle the

U.S. refugee resettlement infrastructure

and program. The short-term and long-term

consequences of these policy changes are dire:

• There has been a 71% drop in total

refugee resettlement, 91% drop in the

resettlement of Muslim refugees, and 96%

drop in Syrian refugee resettlement.

• Resettlement applications and processing

have been derailed.

• The U.S. is abandoning the norm of

responsibility-sharing for refugee

protection, and contributing to a domino

effect.

• The crisis for Syrian refugees is

worsening.

• Local resettlement offices are closing,

leading to a loss of institutional

knowledge, capacity, and skills that will

affect resettlement in the long-term.

• With the shrinking institutional support

network, it will take longer for

resettled refugees to rebuild their lives

in the U.S.

However, resettled refugee families are

resilient. Each individual Syiran refugee who

has been resettled in the U.S. has their own

unique experience, from what caused them to

leave Syria, to their experiences at different

stages of displacement, to the process of

adjusting to their new life in the U.S. We

highlight numerous experiences and reflections

of resettled Syrian refugees in this report,

and through conversations with them and members

of community resettlement organizations, we

reflect on several trends in their experiences:

87

• Families are being split up.

• The language barrier is one of the

greatest challenges to adjusting.

• The cultural adjustment and navigating

new bureaucracies can be intense.

• Mental health treatment is often needed -

particularly as the majority of resettled

refugees are those who have been

identified as “vulnerable” by the UNHCR -

but often inaccessible.

• Rising levels of discrimination and

Islamophobia can be frightening, but at

the same time communities throughout the

country are stepping forward to support

refugees.

Local organizations, like the Syrian Community

Network, have been working with invaluable

partners to support resettled refugees,

including diverse community members, students,

places of worship and faith-based organizations,

educators, elected officials, and more. These

local organizations and community partners

are working to respond to the greatest needs

of refugee families and support them in

the adjustment process, including through

initiatives such as rent assistance, driver’s

education courses like SCN’s “Women at the

Wheel” program, ESL courses, case management

support, tutoring and peer mentorship, work

readiness programs, and fostering a sense of

community. As the number of newly arriving

refugees has slowed from cuts in resettlement

admissions, these local organizations have

adapted their programs to meet the changing

needs of families and have continued to

advocate for all refugees to be welcome.

Resettled refugees also contribute immensely

to the U.S. economy. Refugees work in a diverse

range of sectors, and many start their own

businesses. Numerous Syrian women have become

entrepreneurs, such as Duaa, who was one of the

first resettled Syrian refugees in U.S., and

started “The Sweet Syrian,” a women-led business

specializing in authentic Syrian pastries.3

As taxpayers, refugees also contribute much

more to the U.S. economy than they receive

in benefits. Over the decade leading up to

2014, refugees contributed $269.1 billion to

the U.S. economy through taxes, which was $63

billion more than the $206 billion in refugees

received in benefits during this time.4

The historic cuts to refugee admissions -

particularly the FY2020 resettlement ceiling

of 18,000 people - will have far-reaching

consequences for years to come. In consultation

with resettled Syrian refugees, SCN chapters,

and partners, we recommend the following to

different stakeholders:

TO THE ADMINISTRATION:

• Set all Presidential Determinations to at

least 95,000.

• Ensure that refugees from all regions

are being actively resettled without

discrimination.

• Reverse policies that are hindering

refugee resettlement.

• Respond to refugees whose applications

are stuck in the pipeline, with a focus

on reuniting families.

• Continue to extend and redesignate TPS

for Syrians, including those who fled

3 Check out “The Sweet Syrian” website here: https://thesweetsyrian.com. 4 CATO Institute, “Encouraging Findings of the Trump Administration’s Report on Refugees

and Asylees.” 12 February 2019: https://www.cato.org/blog/encouraging-find-

ings-trump-admins-report-refugees-asylees.

after August 2016.

• Reverse cuts and unnecessary regulations

on refugee resettlement agencies.

• Actively advocate for non-refoulement of

refugees and all people in danger.

TO CONGRESS:

• Hold the administration accountable for

refugee admissions.

• Pass the No BAN Act (H.R. 2214/S. 1123).

• Pass the GRACE Act (H.R. 2146/S. 1088).

• Appropriate robust funding to support

refugee assistance and admissions.

TO LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS:

• Encourage refugee resettlement locally,

with no discrimination based on religion,

race, nationality, etc.

• Ensure that services are fully accessible

to people with limited English

proficiency.

109

25.9M

“WE ARE NOW WITNESSING THE HIGHEST

LEVELS OF DISPLACEMENT

ON RECORD.”5

REFUGEES WORLDWIDE5

With over 70 million people forcibly displaced

from their homes, over 25 million of them

outside of their home countries, the world

is facing the largest refugee crisis since

World War II. From barrel bombs to threats

of unlawful detainment, the number of people

fleeing violence and persecution is increasing

each year. There is a global responsibility

to support refugees to rebuild their lives in

dignity and safety. Durable solutions include

voluntary return to a refugee’s home country,

local integration in a host community, or

resettlement in a third country.

5 UNHCR, “Figures at a Glance.” Accessed July 2019: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/

figures-at-a-glance.html.

GLOBALREFUGEE

CRISIS

1211

5.6M

3,654,173

926,717

660,330

6.6M

MORE THAN 25% OF REFUGEES IN THE WORLD

ARE FROM SYRIA.

SYRIAN REFUGEES7

IN TURKEY

IN LEBANON

IN JORDAN

INTERNALLY DISPLACEDPERSONS

7 UNHCR, “Syria Regional Refugee Response.” Updated August 22, 2019: https://

data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria.

SYRIANREFUGEE

CRISIS

1413

In March 2011 - in response to the arrest and

torture of a group of young boys who spray-

painted pro-democracy graffiti, and alongside

neighboring countries in the “Arab Spring” -

protests began across Syria. They were quickly

and violently put down by the Syrian government.

Over the last eight and a half years, a complex

and protracted conflict evolved, which has

included the widespread bombing of civilian

areas, siege and denial of aid as a weapon of

war, arbitrary arrest and detention, and other

grave violations of international humanitarian

and human rights law. Since the beginning of

the conflict, over 560,000 Syrians have lost

their lives8, though the UN stopped counting the

death toll in Syria in 2014. Well over a million

people have been injured, more than half of the

pre-conflict population has been displaced,

and more than 100,000 people have been detained

or forcibly “disappeared,” the vast majority

at the hands of the Syrian government.9 The

humanitarian crisis continues to worsen -

since April 2019, nearly 3.7 million civilians

in northwestern Syria have been subjected to

relentless bombing, including aerial attacks

on internally displaced person (IDP) camps,

forcing at least 400,000 people to flee.10

The conflict has created the largest refugee

crisis in the world, with 25% of refugees

globally coming from Syria. The majority of

Syrian refugees remain in neighboring countries

in urban areas. However, for many, life is a

daily struggle - few are allowed work permits,

most live in overcrowded conditions, and many

face ongoing protection issues. Over 76% of

Syrian refugees in Lebanon and 93% of Syrian

refugees in Jordan live below the poverty

line.11

Recently, there has been an uptick in refugees

returning to Syria from Jordan, Lebanon, and

Turkey, with many of these cases documented

as forced or coerced returns. Human rights

organizations have documented dozens of cases

where host country governments have coerced

Syrians into signing forms saying they want

to return to Syria and then forcibly returning

them,12 or systematically demolishing “semi-

permanent” refugee shelters to create unlivable

conditions for refugees.13 Many Syrian refugees

cannot see returning in the foreseeable future

because of the ongoing conflict, the extreme

lack of safety, destruction and loss of their

property, and human rights threats like forced

conscription and detention. Of the refugees who

have returned to Syria over the past year, at

least 638 have been forcibly disappeared, and

15 are known to have been killed from torture

after arrest.14

8 Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “Syria: 560,000 killed in seven yrs of war.” 12

December 2018: http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=108829.

9 United Nations, “Security Council Failing Thousands of People Detained, Abducted in

Syria, Civil Society Speakers Say, Demanding Information about Missing Persons’ Where-

abouts.” 7 August 2019: https://www.un.org/press/en/2019/sc13913.doc.htm.

10 United Nations, “Statement Attributable to the Senior Humanitarian Adviser to the

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria on the Humanitarian Situation in Syria.” 8 August

2019: https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/statement-attributable-se-

nior-humanitarian-adviser-united-nations.

11 UNHCR, “Lebanon: Basic Assistance.” Accessed July 2019: https://www.unhcr.org/

lb/basic-assistance.

12 Human Rights Watch, “Turkey Forcibly Returning Syrians to Danger.” 26 July 2019:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/26/turkey-forcibly-returning-syrians-dan-

ger.

13 European Council on Refugees and Exiles, “Lebanon Continue Pressure on Refugees to

Return to a Syria Still Unsafe.” 7 July 2019: https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/

lebanon-continue-pressure-refugees-return-syria-still-unsafe.

14 Syrian Network for Human Rights, “638 Refugees Were Forcibly Disappeared After

Their Return and 15 Returning Refugees Were Killed as a Result of Torture.” 15 August

2019: http://sn4hr.org/blog/2019/08/15/54146/.

REFUGEERESETTLEMENT

1615

Since the beginning of the U.S. refugee program

in 1980, the U.S. has admitted an average of

80,000 refugees annually.16 However, for the

first time since the passage of the 1980 Refugee

Act, the U.S. is no longer the global leader

in refugee resettlement. Despite the advocacy

efforts by faith groups, resettlement agencies,

community organizations, elected officials,

priests, rabbis, imams and the hundreds of

thousands of individuals who protested and

signed petitions from coast to coast, the

Trump administration has lowered the cap on

the number of refugees entering the U.S. each

year, with the FY2020 cap at the historic low

of 18,000. While the world faces the highest

levels of displacement on record, the gap

between the needs of refugees and resettlement

options continues to grow.

When refugees cannot safely return to their

home country or remain in a host country,

resettlement in a third country can be a life-

saving option. This past year, less than 3%

of global refugees returned to their home

country, and 78% are in protracted refugee

situations.15 Their displacement will not be

a short-term issue. With extreme economic

strains on host countries surrounding Syria,

refugee resettlement is an important means for

responsibility sharing among the international

community, alleviating economic hardship and

instability for host countries, and providing

opportunity for refugees. However, of the

estimated 1.2 million refugees in need of

resettlement in 2018, only 55,692, or 4.7%,

were actually resettled.15 Of the resettlement

submissions for last year, over half were for

children.

16 Refugee Council USA, “Where are the Refugees?” 12 June 2019: http://www.rcusa.

org/report.

17 Refugee Processing Center. Updated 31 July 2019: https://www.wrapsnet.org/

admissions-and-arrivals/.

15 UNHCR, “Figures at a Glance.” Accessed 2019: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/fig-

ures-at-a-glance.html

FY ‘09

80,000

85,000

30,000

18,000

110,000

80,000

70,000 70,000 70,000

45,000

76,000

80,000

74,654

84,994

29,818

53,716

73,311

69,926 69,987 69,933

22,491

58,23856,424

REFUGEE ADMISSIONS CEILING

TOTAL REFUGEES ADMITTED

FY ‘13FY ‘10 FY ‘14FY ‘11 FY ‘15 FY ‘17FY ‘12 FY ‘16 FY ‘18 FY ‘19 FY ‘19

U.S. REFUGEE ADMISSIONS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS17

1817

SYRIANREFUGEE

ADMISSIONS

As of August 31, 2019, a total of 21,559 Syrian refugees

have been admitted to the U.S. However, the rate of

resettlement has not increased to meet the rate of need

- from 2016 compared to now, there has been a 96% drop in

admittance of Syrian refugees.

TO THEUNITEDSTATES

2019

18 Refugee Processing Center. Updated 31 July 2019: https://www.wrapsnet.org/

admissions-and-arrivals/.

19 The resettlement of Syrian refugees was announced in January 2014:

https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/prm/releases/remarks/2014/219388.htm.

20 Department of Homeland Security, “Acting DHS Secretary McAleenan Announces

Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Syria.” 1 August 2019: https://www.

dhs.gov/news/2019/08/01/acting-dhs-secretary-mcaleenan-announces-exten-

sion-temporary-protected-status-syria.

12,587

31 36 62

49910519

1,682

0

6,557

TOTAL REFUGEES ADMITTED

FY ‘13 FY ‘14FY ‘11 FY ‘15 FY ‘17FY ‘12 FY ‘16 FY ‘18 FY ‘19

As of August 31st

ADMISSIONS OF SYRIAN REFUGEES TO THE U.S. SINCE 201118

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program was created

by Congress in 1990, designed to protect people who

could not safely return to certain designated countries

because of ongoing armed conflict, an environmental

disaster or epidemic, or other extraordinary and

temporary conditions. TPS holders are able to stay and

work in the U.S., though they are not eligible for

permanent residency. If their country’s TPS designated

status is terminated, they have to return to their home

country. The TPS designation for Syria was announced in

2012, and there are currently around 7,000 Syrian TPS

holders.20 However, in 2018, the U.S. government decided

to only extend, and not redesignate, TPS for Syria,

which had the effect of denying Syrians who arrived in

the United States after August 1, 2016 to ability to

apply for the protective status. On August 1, 2019, the

Department of Homeland Security announced another 18

month extension of Syria’s designation for TPS, sending

an important message that it recognizes that Syria is

not safe to return to. However, Syrians who fled after

August 1, 2016, an arbitrary cut off date, face the

possibility of deportation to an active conflict zone

where they are in immediate danger.

TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS

2221

The Refugee Act of 1980 established that the President,

after consultation with Congress, is responsible for

putting forth a Presidential Determination annually,

which sets the number of refugees that can be admitted

each fiscal year. Congress incorporated the definition

of a “refugee” from the 1951 Refugee Convention into

the 1980 Refugee Act. The law also initiated the U.S.

Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which created a

network of agencies that work in partnership with the

State Department to provide newly arriving refugees

with reception and integration services.21 Since the

establishment of this law in 1980, the U.S. has admitted

more than 3.4 million refugees fleeing violence and

persecution, with an annual average of 80,000 refugees.

REFUGEE ACT OF 1980 AND USRAP

21 Refugee Council USA, “Where are the Refugees?” 12 June 2019: http://www.rcusa.

org/report.

RESETTLEMENT

ANDPROGRAMS

POLICIES

PHOTO BY SEVI REHAB

2423

“

““

“

“

23Quote from interview with Syrian Community Network 24 Quote from “Escaping to Atlanta, Syrians worry the door will be shut behind them,”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 26 January 2017: https://www.ajc.com/news/

national-govt--politics/escaping-atlanta-syrians-worry-the-door-will-shut-behind-

them/oJV20WZXoEoM8JEaaNm2jK/?fbclid=IwAR2c5dC26tCjbqqFIJC2vjxOg-

zRg3qYmoPUinbbHag2SDTLJJh87hrYnN4o#

25 UNHCR, “Figures at a Glance.” Accessed 2019: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/fig-

ures-at-a-glance.html

22 Quote from “Refugees Discuss Most Difficult Part Of Living In America,” Huffington Post,

25 January 2016: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/resettled-syrian-refugees-bu-

reaucracy_n_568aab81e4b06fa68882ecc9.

27 Bruno, Andorra, “Syrian Refugee Admissions and Resettlement in the United States: In

Brief,” Congressional Research Service, 16 September 2016: https://fas.org/sgp/

crs/homesec/R44277.pdf.

26 Quote from “Limits on refugee resettlement lead to agency closures in Los Angeles,”

PRI, 10 December 2018: https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-12-10/limits-asy-

lum-seekers-leads-agency-closures-los-angeles.

I saw with my own eyes the killing of the

civilians who were protesting and calling for

change from the police force and the military

force. They were brutally shot right in front

of my eyes.”

When the conflict began, I had a horrible

feeling. All of the young men around us were

being killed. The bombing was so bad, and I

told my husband that I was terrified for our

kids, and insisted we leave.”

We walked, me and my family and my wife and

four kids, we walked from Syria to Jordan,

and we went to the camps of the refugees

in Jordan... Everything is gone. Our homes.

Our dreams. Our jobs. Everything is gone.”

It’s one of the saddest things - one of the

hardest things - to leave your own home.”

[In Jordan] life was harder than in Syria.

There was a bit of racism against Syrians.

School was harder, too. Some of the students

and teachers treated us differently than the

other students.”Mostafa, from Homs to California22

Rana, from Daraa to San Diego23

Ayman Issa,from Damascus to California26

Rouda, from Aleppo to Georgia24

Mahmoud, from Homs to San Diego23

WHAT RESETTLEMENT LOOKS LIKE FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES

Barrel bombs, starvation

under siege, threat

of being detained and

tortured, chemical

weapons, the destruction

of homes, changing

frontline fighting and

aerial assaults. These

are just a few of the

reasons that Syrians have

been forced to leave their

homes, and fear returning.

The displacement

experience itself can

be harrowing. 93% of

Syrian refugees are in

the neighboring countries

of Turkey, Jordan, and

Lebanon, where life is

often a daily struggle.25

Few Syrians are able to

obtain work permits in

these countries, and most

live below the poverty

line.

Syrians then must

register with UNHCR to

receive refugee status

determination, which shows

that they are fleeing

persecution based on their

ethnicity, nationality,

religion, political

opinion, or social group.

The UNHCR interviews the

individuals, and collects

and intensively assesses

comprehensive information

about them, including

biographical information,

documents, and biometrics.

The UNHCR identifies

“vulnerable” refugees for

resettlement based on a

set criteria, prioritizing

individuals with serious

medical needs, survivors

of torture, women and

children at risk, LGBTQ+

people at risk. The UNHCR

then submits the cases to

one of 37 resettlement

countries, one of which

is the U.S., to decide

whether to accept them for

resettlement. Refugees

can be referred for

resettlement to the U.S.

by the UNHCR (which is

by far the most common

process), a U.S. embassy,

or a designated NGO.

FORCED TO LEAVE SYRIA. BECOME A REFUGEE IN

A NEIGHBORING COUNTRY.

REGISTER WITH THE UNHCR. UNHCR INTENSIVELY

COLLECTS INFORMATION.

REFERRAL FOR

RESETTLEMENT.

AFTER THE REFERRAL, THE SCREENING PROCESS

TYPICALLY TAKES 18 TO 24 MONTHS, BUT FOR MANY

IT TAKES UPWARDS OF THREE YEARS. THE DEPARTMENT

OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS DESCRIBED THE SECURITY

SCREENING PROCESS FOR REFUGEES AS “THE MOST

ROBUST OF ANY POPULATION PROCESSED.”27

REFUGEES, PARTICULARLY SYRIAN REFUGEES, ARE SUBJECT TO THE MOST STRINGENT SECURITY CHECKS OF ANY GROUP ENTERING THE UNITED STATES.

2625

AFTER THIS EXTENSIVE PROCESS, THE

REFUGEE FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO FLY

TO AND ARRIVE IN THE U.S.

Syria Enhanced Review: Syrian refugees are

flagged for additional security screening,

which involves an application review by a

Refugee Affairs Division officer at USCIS

headquarters.

The National Counterterrorism

Center (NCTC) conducts an Inter-

agency Check (IAC), which is

a recurrent vetting process

designed to notify USCIS of any

new red flags between the initial

check through the applicant’s

travel to the U.S.

RIGOROUS U.S.

SCREENING PROCESS.

Their names are run through the

Consular Lookout and Support

System (CLASS), a system to see

if they are on any watch-lists.

28 Information from U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants “Security Screening of

Refugees Admitted to the United States: A Detailed, Rigorous Process” (https://ref-

ugees.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Security-Check-Steps.pdf) and Business

Insider’s infographic “Refugee Resettlement Process in the U.S.” (https://www.busi-

nessinsider.com/refugee-data-us-numbers-under-trump-graphics-2018-6).

29 Westcott, Lucy, “A Brief History of Refugee Paying Back the U.S. Government for their

Travel,” Newsweek, 12 December 2015: https://www.newsweek.com/brief-histo-

ry-refugees-paying-back-us-government-their-travel-403241

Detailed in-person interviews

and extensive background check

led by the U.S. Citizenship

and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Syrian refugees are among those

who undergo an additional

security review called a Security

Advisory Opinion (SAO), which

is another level of security

clearance from a number of U.S.

law enforcement and intelligence

agencies, in order to continue

the resettlement process.

A well-trained USCIS officer will then travel

to the refugee’s location to conduct a

comprehensive face-to-face interview with the

applicant and all of their accompanying family

members over age 14, and evaluate whether

they consider the applicant’s testimony to be

consistent and credible.

Fingerprints and photographs are collected

by the USCIS officer, and they run three

biometric checks: through the FBI’s Next

Generation Identification System, the

Department of Homeland Security’s Automated

Biometric Identification System, and the

Department of Defense’s Automated Biometric

Identification System.

If a refugee is assigned

to the U.S., they undergo

a long and multi-layer

security clearance

process, which includes:28

If the refugee’s application

is conditionally approved,

they are required to

undergo a medical

screening conducted by the

International Organization

for Migration to ensure

that the applicant does

not have any communicable

diseases that could pose a

public health threat.

MEDICAL SCREENINGS.

Refugees approved for

resettlement are offered

cultural orientation to

prepare them for their

initial resettlement in

the U.S.

The U.S. government, in

coordination with IOM,

must facilitate the safe

travel of these refugees

to the U.S. A flight is

arranged, as well as an

interest-free travel loan

and a placement with a local

resettlement agency when

they arrive. IOM covers

the cost of the plane

tickets with funding from

the State Department's

Bureau of Population,

Refugees and Migration

(PRM). Ahead of getting

on the plane to leave for

the U.S., the refugee must

sign a promissory note

agreeing to repay the cost

of their airfare to the

U.S. government through a

resettlement agency within

three and a half years. The

average loan per refugee

family is $2,500.29

CULTURAL ORIENTATION. AIRFARE

REPAYMENT AGREEMENT

When a refugee arrives

at a U.S. airport, their

documents are reviewed

again by a Customs and

Border Protection officer

and checked against the

National Targeting Center

Passenger program and the

Transportation Security

Administration’s Secure

Flight program, to ensure

that the refugee is the

same person who was

approved for admission.

When a refugee has been

accepted for admission,

PRM and Office of Refugee

Resettlement (ORR) work

with nine domestic

resettlement agencies,

also known as voluntary

agencies or “volags,” to

determine the location of

their initial resettlement

in community with the

resources to assist them.

As of 2017, there was

a network of 328 local

affiliates throughout the

U.S., dedicated to helping

refugees settle in their

new communities.

U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER

PROTECTION REVIEW.

WORKING WITH A

RESETTLEMENT AGENCY.

2827

30 For a more extensive timeline of these policies, please see Refugee Council USA’s

“Where are the Refugees?” (http://www.rcusa.org/report) or the ACLU’s “Timeline of

the Muslim Ban” (https://www.aclu-wa.org/pages/timeline-muslim-ban).

31 Bridge: A Georgetown University Initiate, “The Muslim Bans,” Accessed August 2019:

https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research-publications/reports/muslimban/.

Each resettled Syrian

refugee has a different

experience in the U.S., but

all have to navigate new

systems, a new culture, and

a community far away from

their home country. Newly

arrived refugee families

must learn English, find

jobs, register children

for schools, navigate the

bureaucracy of accessing

social services, and more.

Over the last two years, there have been

numerous policy changes - from historic cuts

to refugee admissions, to budget reductions,

to Presidential Executive Orders targeting

refugees from specific nationalities, most

notably Syrians - designed to dismantle the

U.S. refugee resettlement infrastructure and

program. These policies are not occurring in a

vacuum - simultaneously, there have been changes

to immigration policies that have exacerbated

inhumane conditions for migrants and asylum-

seekers on the southern border of the U.S.,

including the devastating family separation

policy. Here is a timeline of some of the most

noteworthy and harmful refugee resettlement

policy changes since January 2017.30

BUILDING A LIFE

IN THE U.S.

Approximately six months

after refugees arrive in

the U.S., they are expected

to begin repaying their

loans to one of the nine

resettlement agencies.

This can be a challenge

and added stress for many

refugee families.

All refugees are required

to apply for green cards

within a year of arriving

to the U.S., which sets

in motion another set of

security procedures with

the U.S. government.

LOAN REPAYMENT.

GREEN CARD APPLICATIONS

CHANGES TO THE U.S. REFUGEE PROGRAM

One week after taking office, President Trump

issued Executive Order 13769, which suspended

the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)

through a ban on all refugee admissions for

120 days, foreign nationals from seven Muslim-

majority countries for 90 days, and Syrian

refugees indefinitely. This was the first of

what has been referred to as the “Muslim Ban”

or “travel ban,” and caused confusion, chaos

in airports, and widespread protests. Between

60,000 and 100,000 visas were revoked within a

week of this announcement.31 Numerous successful

applicants for refugee resettlement had their

cases put on hold at this time, and many are

still awaiting clarification on next steps.

President Trump revised the Executive Order,

signing the new Executive Order 13780. This

removed the indefinite ban on Syrian refugees

but reinstated a 120 day suspension of USRAP

and formally cut FY2017 refugee admissions from

110,000, as set under President Obama in his

last year in office, to 50,000 people.

The Trump administration helped shape and

support the RAISE Act, which proposed putting

a formal cap on refugee admissions at 50,000

people annually and halving the number

of green cards issued. President Trump,

along with co-sponsoring Senators Cotton

(R-AR) and Perdue (R-GA), announced the

introduction of the bill at the White House.

The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary

Committee, but made it no further.

JANUARY 27, 2017:

EXECUTIVE ORDER 13769

MARCH 6, 2017: EXECUTIVE ORDER 13780 AUGUST 2, 2017:

SUPPORT FOR THE RAISE ACT

3029

32 Refugee Council USA, “Where are the Refugees?” 12 June 2019: http://www.rcusa.

org/report.

This Executive Order set to resume USRAP

“with enhanced vetting procedures,” but

impose an additional 90 day ban on refugees

from 11 countries, nine of which are Muslim-

majority countries, including Syria. It also

indefinitely suspended nearly all travel - by

immigrants, visa holders, and refugees - from

seven countries, six of which are Muslim-

majority countries, including Syria.

The State Department’s Bureau of Population,

Refugees, and Migration (PRM) announced

that it would be closing local resettlement

offices that expected to resettle fewer than

100 refugees a year, and that each office

could only be affiliated with one national

resettlement agency. This caused the closure

of approximately one third of local reception

and placement programs.32

The Presidential Determination for Fiscal Year

2018, which puts forth the number of annual

refugee admissions, was set at 45,000 people.

At the time, this was the lowest number of

proposed annual refugee admissions in the

history of USRAP.

The Presidential Determination for Fiscal Year

2019 put forth a cap of 30,000 people - a new

historic low at the time.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

announced plans to close all of its international

field offices, which provide numerous services

including refugee resettlement and family

reunification services. This is expected to

slow the processing of refugee applications

and increase difficulties around family

reunification.

The Presidential Determination for Fiscal

Year 2020 capped the number of refugees for

resettlement at 18,000. This is the lowest

number of annual refugee admissions since the

U.S. Refugee Admissions Program was established.

At the same time, the Trump administration put

forth a new Executive Order where refugees will

be resettled "only in those jurisdictions in

which both the State and local governments have

consented to receive refugees." This arguably

violates the Refugee Act of 1980 which grants

the federal government authority over refugee

policy. For context, in 2015 after the Paris

terrorist attacks, 31 governors announced

their intent to prevent Syrian refugees from

resettling in their states, though their

announcements did not carry any legal weight

at the time.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017:

EXECUTIVE ORDER 13815

DECEMBER 1, 2017: CLOSING OF

LOCAL RESETTLEMENT OFFICES

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017:

FY2018 PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION

OCTOBER 4, 2018:

FY2019 PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION

MARCH 12, 2019:

CLOSURE OF ALL USCIS INTERNATIONAL

FIELD OFFICES ANNOUNCED

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019: FY2020

PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION AND

EXECUTIVE ORDER

3231

the change in U.S. policies.35 After an eight

year refugee crisis with no end in sight, the

conditions for Syrian refugees in these host

countries are deteriorating, discrimination

and animosity against Syrians is increasing,

and there has been an uptick in illegal forced

and coerced refugee returns to Syria. With the

possibility of resettlement to a third country

increasingly diminished, refugees are being

driven to make painful and desperate decisions,

including returning to Syria under unsafe

and inhumane conditions, dangerous migration

to other countries across the sea, and being

forced to resort to unsafe informal work or

child labor to survive.

A key principle of refugee protection is

responsibility-sharing, of which resettlement

is a major component. The U.S. is not

attempting to resettle its “fair share” of

refugees, continuing to let a disproportionate

and unsustainable burden fall on countries

neighboring Syria. This is contributing to a

domino effect, where many European states and

regional states are also failing to resettle

substantial numbers of refugees or effectively

support host countries, and undercutting the

international norm of non-refoulement.

Up to 2017, the resettlement process has

been orderly at the regional level through

the UN and the domestic level through the

collaboration of numerous U.S. agencies. The

delays in application processing, confusion

over changing U.S. policies, time-consuming and

duplicative security procedures, and decrease

in resources have undercut the systematic

resettlement process. The effects are clear

- in 2016, the U.S. resettled 11,204 Syrian

refugees from Jordan and Lebanon, while this

year, the U.S. is on pace to resettle just

over 650 Syrians from Jordan and Lebanon.35

The UNHCR attributes the four-fold decrease

in the resettlement of refugees from Jordan to

Since the beginning of 2017, more than 100 local

resettlement offices have had to close or suspend

some of their refugee program operations.36

These offices have invested years in building

expertise, capacity, and local relationships.

They play a critical role in assisting newly

arrived refugees as they adjust and supporting

all refugees in an ongoing way. Once an office

has closed, valuable institutional knowledge,

infrastructure, and experienced staff are

lost. The closure of local resettlement offices

is directly undercutting the U.S. refugee

resettlement program that has taken decades

to build, and will certainly hurt resettled

refugees in communities across the country.

Local resettlement offices support refugees

with a slew of services important to adjust

to the U.S. and rebuild their lives, including

English classes, assistance with registering

for schools, and job support services. With

cuts in the local resettlement infrastructure,

refugees will likely take longer navigate life

in the U.S. and rebuild their lives with dignity

and comfort.

Even a short delay in processing can delay a

refugee resettlement application. Refugees only

have a two month travel window during which all

of their security checks are valid, and one

delay can trigger the cycle of postponement.

Such delays are particularly disruptive for

families who are traveling together but whose

checks have been completed at different times.

The first “travel ban,” Executive Order 13769,

put a pause on all refugee arrivals for four

In the past two years, the administration has

put forth policy changes to dismantle refugee

resettlement. The continued lowering of refugee

admissions has far-reaching consequences in

the short and long-term.

IMPACT OF CHANGES

THERE HAS BEEN A 71% DROP IN TOTAL REFUGEE

RESETTLEMENT, 91% DROP IN THE RESETTLEMENT OF

MUSLIM REFUGEES, AND 96% DROP IN SYRIAN REFUGEE

RESETTLEMENT.

THE U.S. IS ABANDONING THE NORM OF

RESPONSIBILITY-SHARING FOR REFUGEE PROTECTION,

AND CONTRIBUTING TO A DOMINO EFFECT.

THE CRISIS FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES IS WORSENING.

LOCAL RESETTLEMENT OFFICES ARE CLOSING, LEADING

TO A LOSS OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, CAPACITY,

AND SKILLS THAT WILL AFFECT REFUGEES IN THE

LONG-TERM.

IT WILL TAKE LONGER FOR RESETTLED REFUGEES

TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES IN THE U.S.

RESETTLEMENT APPLICATIONS AND PROCESSING HAVE

BEEN DERAILED.

Between 2016 and the present, the administration

has cut the refugee resettlement program by 71%,

with a disproportionate focus on Muslim refugees.

Of all refugees resettled in the U.S. during

this time, there has been a decrease of Muslims

being resettled by 91%.33 Also during this time,

there has been a 96% drop in admittance of

Syrian refugees.34 The administration formally

cut the regional allocation of refugees from

the “Near East/ South Asia” from 38,000 in

FY2016 to 9,000 in FY2019, of which only 2,326

people have been resettled as of August 16,

2019.

months, with the delays being much longer for

most Syrian refugees. For many people in the

final stages of approval, their cases were put on

hold and many are still awaiting resettlement.

33 Bridge: A Georgetown University Initiate, “The Muslim Bans,” Accessed August 2019:

https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research-publications/reports/muslimban/.

34 Statistics as of July 31, 2019

36 Refugee Council USA, “Where are the Refugees?” 12 June 2019: http://www.rcusa.

org/report.

35 Amnesty International, “‘The mountain is in front of us and the sea is behind us’: The Im-

pact of US Policies on Refugees in Lebanon and Jordan,” June 2019: https://refugees.

amnestyusa.org/.

3433

EXPERIENCESOF SYRIAN

RESETTLED REFUGEES

3635

“Learning the language was the most difficult thing. We didn’t speak a word of English

before we came here.”

stuck in Jordan. He had also been accepted for

resettlement and he even had his plane ticket

to fly to the U.S. in January 2017, but due

to the timing of President Trump’s Executive

Order 13769, he was prevented from traveling.

Gazem’s nephew, his older brother’s son, was

able to make it to the U.S. just one month

before Trump took office. Over two and a half

years later, they are still separated, unsure

of when they will be able to see each other

again.37

Among resettled Syrian refugees, each individual

and family has a different experience, from

start to finish – the reasons they were forced

to leave Syria, the people they left behind,

the path they took and country they first fled

to, their experiences at different stages of

displacement, the process of coming to the

U.S., the complex ups and downs of adjusting

to a new culture, the intensity and trauma

of continuing to see their home country face

conflict, and more. Through conversations and

interviews with resettled Syrian refugees and

members of community organizations, we’ve seen

several trends in experiences and challenges

that resettled Syrian refugees face in the U.S.

37 Campbell, Monica, “Settled but unsettled: 4 years on, a Syrian refugee family still torn

by US policy,” PRI, 21 June 2019: https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-06-21/set-

tled-unsettled-4-years-syrian-refugee-family-still-torn-us-policy

38 Interview with Syrian Community Network

Mustafa resettled in San Diego with his wife,

Ahlam, and their children. Mustafa spends time

volunteering at his kids’ schools. Ahlam hopes

to achieve her childhood dream of becoming a

lawyer. Their four children are also dreaming

big and working to accomplish their goals.

Inas is entering fifth grade, where she loves

studying math and English. Their youngest son

Ahmed likes to play sports and study math, like

his brother Nour, who is in the ninth grade.

No longer tasked with earning income for his

family, Nour dreams of becoming a surgeon, so

he can help others. Sidrah, the oldest sibling,

is in tenth grade, and her favorite subject

in school is American history. She recently

attended the Girls Rock! summer camp along

with fourteen other Syrian girls, where she was

able to make new friends and learn more about

photography and music.

DREAMS FOR LIFE IN AMERICA

Mustafa, from Damascus to San Diego38

FAMILIES ARE BEING SPLIT UP.

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER IS ONE OF THE GREATEST

CHALLENGES TO ADJUSTING.

Since January 2017, when the first “travel ban”

was initiated under Executive Order 13769,

families have been torn apart indefinitely.

There are numerous instances of Syrian

refugees in the U.S. not knowing when or if

they will be reunited with their children,

siblings, parents, or grandparents. After the

first Executive Order, numerous successful

resettlement applicants had their cases put on

hold, and many are still awaiting resettlement.

This is coupled by the drastic reduction in

refugee admissions, particularly for Syrians.

One example is the family of Gazem Al Hamad,

his wife Wajed Al Khlifa, and their four young

children, who fled from Homs in November 2011

after family members were killed and tortured.

From Jordan, they applied for resettlement

and in February 2015 they moved to Turlock,

CA. However, Gazem’s older brother remains

For most Syrian refugees, the language barrier

can be the hardest element to adjusting.

Learning English is a major challenge for

children beginning at new American schools,

and in many ways an even more intense challenge

for the adults, who are given eight months in

which to learn English and find a job. Some

refugee families experience a cycle of poverty

when they lack English skills, as they are not

able to find employment or pass English-based

driving exams that would allow them the ability

to get to an accessible job, and then lack

resources for ESL classes. This is one reason

why the accessible ESL classes through SCN and

other organizations can be so important.

“My dream for my life in America is to open a simple Middle Eastern restaurant, together

with my wife. I’d like it to be a casual

place where friends can gather, drink tea

together, and enjoy great food.”

Mahmoud, from Homs to San Diego38

PERSONAL STORIES

3837

of displacement, and many refugees still have

relatives and close friends facing danger in

Syria or insecurity in neighboring countries.

Many times the symptoms of trauma can manifest

as physical symptoms and chronic pain. There

have been instances of ambulances being called

to mosques for resettled Syrian refugees who

are suffering from anxiety attacks and stroke-

like symptoms.40 Access to culturally sensitive

and trauma-informed mental health care is

critical for newly resettled Syrian refugees,

particularly in their initial adjustment

period, but between other financial priorities,

issues with Medicaid and the healthcare system,

language barriers, and cultural norms, it is

not widely accessible to them.

“We are safer from the crisis that drove us away from our country, but the reality hits

hard. We’re back to the beginning and we’re

starting to build a life all over again.”

39 Papp, Justin, “Seven years of civil war: Syrian community shares their experiences,”

Fairfield Citizen, 15 March 2018: https://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/news/arti-

cle/Seven-years-of-civil-war-Syrian-community-shares-12756328.php

40 Andrade, Kevin, “Syrian refugees in R.I. feel strain of family separation,” Prov-

idence Journal, 10 November 2018: https://www.providencejournal.com/

news/20181110/syrian-refugees-in-ri-feel-strain-of-family-separation.

41 Hennessy-Fiske, Molly, “Syrian refugees fear backlash: ‘They don’t want us to stay here,”

Los Angeles Times, 18 November 2015: https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-syri-

an-refugees-20151118-story.html.

42 Shulman, Robin, “Hate, Hope, and Swimming Lessons,” TIME: https://time.com/syri-

an-refugees-american-summer/.

43 Amnesty International, “ ‘The mountain is in front of us and the sea is behind us’: The

Impact of US Policies on Refugees in Lebanon and Jordan,” June 2019: https://refu-

gees.amnestyusa.org/.

44 Check out the Sweet & Savory page on Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/

Sweet-Savory-432815610430132/?_rdc=1&_rdr.

45 Check out Rudy’s Food Art and Catering Services page on Facebook: https://web.

facebook.com/Nazer.Ghazal/?tn-str=k*F.

46 Abdelaziz, Rowaida and Willa Frej, “Syrian Refugees Respond To Hurricane Irma By

Cooking Feasts For Evacuees,” Huffington Post, 12 September 2017: https://www.

huffpost.com/entry/syrian-refugees-hurricane-irma_n_59b7e89be4b027c149e-

277ae?fbclid=IwAR09WvB62473PEkK174vY7R2SOVG_jF86ik5xmIdKT8KxRqU-

BycNWK0vv_g

Abeer and Nora are sisters from Douma, Syria

who were forced to leave their homeland in

2012. After spending four years in Egypt,

they were resettled in Clarkson, Georgia in

November 2016 with their families. They loved

cooking, and quickly began cooking for new

friends in the U.S. and sharing their meals

with others. They have since started a catering

company called Sweet and Savory,44 and this past

year, they have begun managing a restaurant.

Nazer is a 53-year-old man from Damascus who

was displaced to Jordan, and was resettled in

REFUGEES COOKING FOR HURRICANE EVACUEES

THE CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT AND NAVIGATING NEW

BUREAUCRACIES CAN BE INTENSE.

MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IS OFTEN NEEDED -

PARTICULARLY AS THE MAJORITY OF RESETTLED

REFUGEES ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED

AS “VULNERABLE” BY THE UNHCR - BUT OFTEN

INACCESSIBLE.

RISING LEVELS OF DISCRIMINATION AND ISLAMOPHOBIA

CAN BE FRIGHTENING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME

COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE STEPPING

FORWARD TO SUPPORT REFUGEES.

Many people experience intense homesickness and

grief in adjusting to a new country far away

from family, their home community, and their

culture. Syrians are simultaneously coping

with the mental and emotional toll of the

crisis still unfolding in Syria. Many people

who were well educated and employed in their

chosen profession in Syria are not able to

return to their former careers, which can feel

disempowering. Navigating the governmental and

resettlement agencies, as well as different

systems of applying for jobs, finding housing,

getting a driver’s license, and entering

schools, can be overwhelming.

Syrian refugees struggle disproportionately with

PTSD, anxiety, and depression because of their

exposure to extreme events during the protracted

conflict in Syria - many have faced torture,

witnessed relatives being hurt or killed, and

been present during bombings and attacks. They

have also faced the instability and intensity

Over the last few years, there has been a rise

in hate crimes in the U.S. against minority

identities, including Islamophobic, Xenophobic,

anti-refugee, and anti-Arab harassment and

targeting. This discrimination and the fear

it can cause is a part of the lives of many

Syrian refugees. Some Syrian resettled refugee

women report being afraid to wear hijabs in

public, and taking caution when going to their

local mosques.41 Others fear rumors about being

deported back to the active conflict they fled.42

Syrian refugees in neighboring countries are

similarly aware of anti-refugee, anti-Muslim

sentiment coming from the U.S., and bring up

questions such as, “Will we be discriminated

against in the USA?” “Is there a ban against

Muslims or against Arabs?” “Can we be deported

from the USA?” “Can I wear a hijab?”43

Maha, from Damascus to Connecticut39

Tucker, Georgia. He similarly has a passion

for cooking, and is an accomplished chef and

food artist. He recently won 1st place for

presentation and artistic appeal at the Gourmet

Gents 26th Annual King of the Kitchen event,

after showcasing his work to over 700 guests.

He has since catered to churches, mosques,

synagogues, weddings and schools. His daughter

Douha is one of the first newly arrived Syrian

refugees to be accepted to college, currently

attending Georgia State University where she

was named to the President's List during the

spring 2019 semester.

Even more noteworthy is their kindness and

generosity. When Hurricane Irma hit the

southeastern U.S. and displaced more than half

a million people, Abeer and Nora cooked a feast

and drove an hour to deliver it to a shelter for

39 evacuees. When offered compensation, they

refused. Similarly, Nazer delivered a home-cooked

meals to a shelter housing around 25 evacuees.

“We were uprooted from war. We know the

feeling of leaving everything behind…I

wanted to be able to help these people, so

that these people can feel happiness. So

they don’t feel uprooted like how we felt,”

said Abeer.

PERSONAL STORIES

4039

47 CATO Institute, “Encouraging Findings of the Trump Administration’s Report on

Refugees and Asylees.” 12 February 2019: https://www.cato.org/blog/encourag-

ing-findings-trump-admins-report-refugees-asylees.

48 New American Economy, “From Struggle to Resilience: The Economic Impact of Ref-

ugees in America.” June 2017: http://research.newamericaneconomy.org/wp-con-

tent/uploads/sites/2/2017/11/NAE_Refugees_V6.pdf.

49 Center for American Progress, “Syrian Immigrants in the United States: A Receiving

Community for Today’s Refugees.” 13 December 2016: https://www.american-

progress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2016/12/13/294851/syrian-immi-

grants-in-the-united-states-a-receiving-community-for-todays-refugees/.

50 Avicenna Journal of Medicine, “The metrics of Syrian physicians’ brain drain to

the United States.” March 2012: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/

PMC3507067/.

51 Check out “The Sweet Syrian” Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/

syriansweetthe/about/?ref=page_internal.

Volunteers got together in the winter and

distributed almost 400 blankets to over

100 refugee families, visiting with them

individually. Syrian refugees who arrived

only a year before took the lead in picking

up the blankets and helping with the

REFUGEES GIVING BACK

However, at the same time, diverse members of

local communities across the country, of all

backgrounds and faiths, are stepping forward

to support refugees and make sure that new

refugees know they are welcome. Students, faith

groups, community organizations, priests,

rabbis, imams, and the hundreds of thousands of

community members have led advocacy efforts,

protests, and petitions to call for an increased

Not only do refugees become integral members of

their new communities, but they also contribute

immensely to the U.S. economy. As taxpayers,

refugees contribute much more to the U.S.

economy than they receive in benefits. A 2017

report by the Department of Health and Human

Services showed that over the decade leading up

to 2014, refugees contributed $269.1 billion to

the U.S. economy through taxes, which was $63

billion more than the $206 billion in refugees

received in benefits during this time.47

Refugees work in a diverse range of sectors,

and many start their own businesses.

In 2015, there were more than 180,000 refugee-

owned businesses in the U.S., generating $4.6

billion, which was more than the annual budget

for refugee resettlement.48 Syrian immigrants

have a rich history of entrepreneurship in

the U.S. - approximately 11% of all Syrian

immigrants in the labor force are business

owners, nearly four times the rate of U.S.-

born business owners.49 Syrian immigrants are

REFUGEES CONTRIBUTE IMMENSELY TO THE U.S. ECONOMY

also leaders in the health sector - Syrian

physicians practicing in the U.S. represent

approximately .4% of the health workforce and

1.6% of international medical graduates.50

Syrian refugees have particularly taken the

lead in starting restaurants and catering

services to serve delicious Syrian cuisine

- including the Rawas family, who are from

Damascus and were resettled in California, and

started Old Damascus Fare, a catering kiosk on

the UC Berkeley campus; Majed Abdulraheem, who

is from Daraa, came to the U.S. with his wife

and two daughters, and now cooks popular Syrian

food with the company Foodhini in Washington,

DC; sisters Abeer and Nora from Douma, who were

resettled in Georgia with their husbands and

have started a catering company called Sweet

and Savory; Duaa, who was one of the first

Syrians resettled in U.S. in 2015 with the help

from community member and SCN Board Member Dr.

Bana Ahdab in Chicago, and started “The Sweet

Syrian,” a women-led business specializing

in authentic Syrian pastries;51 and numerous

others.

distribution, wanting to help give back.

Temple Beth Tikvah, a partner of the Syrian

Community Network Atlanta Chapter, donated

a big box of fleece blankets for the youngest

refugees.

number of refugees to be admitted to the U.S.

Groups of supportive community members have

come together to support newly arrived refugee

families with guidance on housing, navigating

the Department of Human Services system, and the

job application process. Each year, students

and faith groups step up to ensure that refugee

families are comfortable with school supplies

for the academic year and warm in the winter.

PERSONAL STORIES

4241

Badih, Shazaa, and their four daughters are

from Homs, Syria, which they fondly remember.

They owned a lovely, simple home in the city,

and their daughters - Qamar, Aya, Hiba, and

Hala - enjoyed spending time with the many

cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and

friends that lived in their neighborhood.

Although she was only ten when she left

Syria, 16-year-old Aya vividly remembers

her city and misses the routine of walking

to school, coming home to enjoy a meal with

her family, and taking trips to the park

with her grandparents.

“My family, friends, in-laws and neighbors all

lived near our home in Homs. That’s how it

is in Syria - a very close-knit community,”

Shazaa recalls. Badih had a good job in

construction, and says they always felt

comfortable and safe.52

The family welcomed a fifth daughter, Helah, in

2011, just as the hostilities were beginning

in Syria. Only one year after she was born,

the family was forced to leave Homs, moving

to the countryside to escape the escalating

bombing. Still facing violence and danger, they

were forced to flee again and again, first to

Damascus, then to Daraa, and finally across the

border into Jordan.

“WE CAN FINALLY SEE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR OUR DAUGHTERS”

“

52 Interview with Syrian Community Network

“Arriving in Jordan was like coming back to

life after being dead for a long time,”

remembers Badih.

Shortly before fleeing Syria, Badih had undergone

open heart surgery, and was unable to work in

Amman. He says that they had no expectations

when they first arrived in Jordan, because they

were so panicked and scared, and were just

relieved to feel safe again. However, that fear

did not fully disappear in Amman. Shazaa says

she was afraid every day, worrying about her

husband’s health, her daughters’ safety, and

above all, being forced to return to Syria.

The family registered as refugees with the UN,

and throughout their four and a half years in

Jordan, underwent many extensive and detailed

interviews with the UNHCR. Badih says they

shared tales of their worst moments in Syria

time and again. In August 2016, the family

received the welcome news that they would be

resettled in California.

“We were so happy to find out we were coming

to America. When we got here, though, that

happy feeling started to fade. Don’t get me

wrong - we are happy here now, and we thank the

American people for graciously welcoming us.

But it’s been difficult to adjust,” explained

Badih and Shazaa.

Learning a new language, navigating a complex

health system, paying rent, and raising children

in a new environment seemed like insurmountable

challenges to this family of seven. Then, one

year after arriving, just as the family was

easing into their new life, Shazaa learned that

they were expecting another baby.

When little Rasha arrived this February,

Badih, Shazaa, and the girls were overjoyed,

welcoming her as their family’s first American

citizen. “We are beginning to understand

America more, and thank God, we recognize

that there is organization, law and order

here. Best of all, we can finally see

a bright future for our daughters.” Shazaa and

Badih say their dream is simple: for their six

girls to grow up in peace and get good jobs in

the U.S. The whole family sees education as the

key to their success.

PERSONAL STORIES

4443

In Syria, I missed the 4th through 6th grade

because it was too dangerous to leave our

house. When we got to Jordan, I was enrolled

in 8th grade. It was really hard to keep

up. I couldn’t understand anything. I have

so many goals for myself and my future, but

I couldn’t dream there. Since I arrived in

America, I have been so happy. I finally

understand my teachers. I am not afraid to

speak up in class. I am a senior in high

school and take a college class at night.

I also work three days a week at a market

here in El Cajon, because I want to help my

parents and make their life easier. I want to

be a lawyer, and I know that I can achieve

that dream here - that’s the difference.”

Qamar’s sisters are equally full of hope for

the future. Hiba loves playing sports with her

friends. Aya dreams of being an engineer, so

when peace comes to Syria, she can contribute

to rebuilding her beloved city, Homs. Hala and

Helah both want to become doctors - Hala says

“so I can fix my dad’s heart one day,” and

“I WANT TO BE A LAWYER, AND I KNOW THAT I CAN ACHIEVE THAT DREAM HERE”

“

53 Interview with Syrian Community Network

Qamar, from Homs to San Diego53

“

Helah “to help moms get babies out of their

stomachs!” When little Rasha was born, her

parents and her older sisters were overjoyed,

welcoming her as their family’s first American

citizen. The family jokes that she will be the

first Syrian American President.

PERSONAL STORIES

4645

We are currently working with a family

of nine, with two family members living in

Turkey. Their 20-year-old son was diagnosed

with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 9.

They’ve been in the U.S. for about three

years now. Initially, they were in and out

of hospitals. The father had to miss many

days of work as he was the only one who could

drive his son to the hospital. The language

barrier also posed difficulties when a

translator wasn’t available. Unfortunately,

the young man is currently on home hospice

and this has been exceptionally difficult

for the family.

However, the medical team has been nothing

short of phenomenal. They have helped this

family so much and provided a lot of comfort.

They’ve been very culturally sensitive.

The mother of this family enrolled in our

Driver’s Ed program and is able to drive

now. The two older girls have kept up with

their studies and have gotten into a good

school. The community has worked together on

supporting the family financially.”

Ahmad and his wife Hanna, as well as their

four boys, are from Homs, Syria. Ahmad

suffered from polio as a child, which

resulted in a disability that causes him to

use a wheelchair. In Syria, Ahmad worked as

a tailor with his brothers in the city of

Homs. Fearing for the safety of his family,

they made the difficult decision to leave Syria

for Jordan.

“Our experience of displacement was difficult

- leaving our house, fleeing, starting over

again,” said Ahmad.54

After a three year vetting process in Jordan,

the Alatrash family was resettled Chicago in

August 2016 by the largest refugee resettlement

agency, RefugeeOne. The Syrian Community

Network, paired the Alatrash family with mentors

from Beth Am Synagogue and together, they

helped Ahmad pay rent, tutor their children in

school, and find resources to help the Alatrash

family become self-sufficient. However, having

limited English proficiency and dealing with

issues around wheelchair accessibility, Ahmad

was worried about finding employment.

After hard work and support from SCN and the

Beth Am mentors, Ahmad is working full time at

Dearborn Denim, a denim factory in Chicago.

He makes an hour and a half commute to work

each way on the “L” train, and is working

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES FROM HOMS TO CHICAGO

54 Interview with Syrian Community Network

Mona Megahed,

Syrian Community Network, Atlanta, GA

“hard to support his family. Ahmad was recently

fitted for special leg and back brace, and

is attending physical therapy, all while

continuing to work. He recently obtained his

driver’s license, and after a long process, he

has just gotten the funds from the Department of

Human Services to equip and convert a mini-van

for his specifications. He will soon be able to

drive to work, and end his arduous “L”

train commute.

The two older boys are doing well in school,

the two younger boys are enjoying pre-school,

and his wife Hanaa is receiving counseling for

PTSD. Their dreams for the future are that their

children are able to get the best education

possible and succeed.

PERSONAL STORIES

4847

Partnering with refugee resettlement agencies,

local refugee resettlement organizations are

working to support newly resettled Syrian

refugees with access to services and community.

They have invaluable partners: a diverse group

of community members, synagogues, churches,

mosques, other places of worship and faith-

based organizations, educators, business

leaders, elected officials, and more. These

local organizations and community partners

support refugee families through a combination

of resources, services, and initiatives to

help refugees thrive and become integral

members of their communities. As the number

of newly arriving refugees has slowed from

cuts in resettlement admissions, these local

organizations have adapted their programs and

shifted their priorities to meet the changing

needs of families. Initially, these organizations

prioritized support for immediate needs, such

as rent assistance and material donations,

including school supplies, phones, and winter

clothes. Since Syrians first were resettled

in the U.S. in 2015, these organizations have

adapted to the changing needs and current

dynamics of the Syrian refugee community.

Currently, these organizations have shifted

their focus to longer-term needs through

programs like driver’s education courses,

peer mentorship, and professional development

trainings. The Syrian Community Network, with

a base in Chicago and chapters in San Diego,

Tucson, Phoenix, and Atlanta, is one example

of a local support organization, serving over

3,500 refugees in the U.S. Services that SCN

and other local support organizations provide

include:

COMMUNITYRESPONSE

• RENT ASSISTANCE FOR NEW REFUGEE FAMILIES.

One of the biggest challenges for newly

resettled refugee families is ensuring

they can pay rent while adjusting,

learning English, and finding jobs. The

federal refugee program offers financial

support for only 3 months. SCN and other

organizations help to support families

with an additional 6 months of rent

support if needed as they are adjusting.

• DRIVER’S EDUCATION COURSES.

A key challenge facing families is that

women less frequently drive, which limits

their independence and ability to assist

their families. To meet that need, the

Syrian Community Network launched the

“Women at the Wheel” program, providing

driver’s education course and covering

the cost of the driver’s ed test.

• ESL COURSES.

The Syrian Community Network has offered

ESL support through in-person classes,

home tutoring, and one-on-one support.

• AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.

SCN supports hundreds of students each

year through a fun and educational

after school program in Chicago. In

addition to homework support, it provides

supplemental activities for students to

work on skills in math, English, and

social-emotional learning, and offers

additional enrichment activities,

including art, music and theater. This

program, designed for students between

pre-K to 3rd grade, was recently the

recipient of the Trailblazer Award from

Adler University.

5049

• CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT.

Case managers with local resettlement

organizations assist refugee families

in a range of ways - with filling out

DHS applications for benefits like SNAP,

school registration, enrollment in ESL

courses, job applications, changing

medical insurance providers, setting up

doctor’s appointments, legal advocacy,

and more.

• IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE.

As of August 2019, the Syrian Community

Network has achieved recognition from

the U.S. Department of Justice as an

officially accredited organization

authorized to provide assistance with

respect to matters of immigration,

including the completion of immigration

documents and applications, such as

the adjustment of status to Legal

Permanent Resident, as well as achieving

citizenship.

So far, we’ve worked with about 24 women who

successfully got their licenses and were able

to help their families. One particular story

stands out - a family with two disabled sons.

These two young men were shot during the

war in Syria as they were trying to provide

food and water for families that didn’t have

access to these resources. The bullet went

from the first son to the second, paralyzing

both for life. Their mother has tried so

hard to learn how to drive since they were

resettled here in the U.S. Her driving test

is scheduled in the next few days, and I know

for sure that she is passing!”

Through consultations with refugee families,

it became clear that one of the biggest

challenges facing families was that the

women were not frequently driving, which

limited their independence and ability to

assist their families. To meet that need, the

Syrian Community Network launched the “Women

at the Wheel” program, providing 14 hours of

instructional behind the wheel education and

covering the cost of the driver’s ed test. They

have contracted with refugee owned driving

schools and have worked with experienced,

Arabic-speaking instructors. This program has

led to a 95% success rate for those who have

completed the program.

WOMEN AT THE WHEEL

Heba Hanna,

Syrian Community Network, San Diego, CA

“

Abir Aldabbagh is enrolled in SCN’s Women

at the Wheel program, working to earn her

license. With four children attending

different schools that don’t offer buses,

Abir’s husband - the family’s only licensed

driver - juggles shuttling the kids to class

with his job as a rideshare driver. The

process is even more challenging because the

school days end at different times. Abir

wants to get her driver’s license to gain

independence, and to help with the driving so

her husband can keep working while she picks

the children up from school.

• WORK READINESS WORKSHOPS.

These workshops include discussions

about work conduct and understanding

cultural nuances. Case managers also

figure out the professional interests

and backgrounds of the refugees, and

help them with available jobs and

opportunities.

• COMMUNITY.

Community is another important piece

of the adjustment process. Having an

established Syrian and Syrian American

community is useful in easing the social,

cultural, and practical adjustment

process for newly resettled refugees.

PERSONAL STORIES

5251

I am humbled by their drive and sacrifices.

Also a talented musician, artist, and scholar,

Mustafa is now working at a factory with six

other people on his block. Lena has become

a reliable asset in explaining complicated

English grammar to her brothers in their native

Kurdish. Even though it is hard in ways I cannot

imagine, I can see that Shaho and Mustafa have

made a stable, loving home for their children

despite the hardest of circumstances. I am

proud to know them.

Ryan is one of the many Chicago community

members who signed up to be a “mentor” for

a Syrian refugee family – made up of Shaho,

Lena, Muhamed, and Ronyar – in October 2016.

According to Ryan, the experience was “life

changing in ways I did not expect.” Here are

some of his reflections:

“Over the course my weekly visits to the

Muhameds’ home I have seen this family adapt

and grow in ways that continue to move me.

All three kids are now speaking English with

confidence. Lena is getting A’s on tests in

school. Muhamed can read a short story faster

than I can. Ronyar—who couldn’t write in any

language when I met him—can now write the

alphabet with ease, and my heart almost burst

the day he was able to read a short passage

with little help.

Throughout all of this, even when it was

hard, the Muhamed family has been welcoming

and warm. For people who are starting over,

they are eager to give. Shaho always serves

Syrian coffee with snacks. Mustafa is making

my partner Joy and I a painting for our

apartment. A few times, I’ve been invited

to stay for a homemade Kurdish meal (something

I now secretly hope for every time I walk

through that door, if I’m being honest). When

Joy and I make social visits, we are often

sent home with a bag of rice, peppers, or

flour, and Shaho taught Joy how to make Syrian

coffee. We do not deserve their kindness.

RYAN AND THE MUHAMED FAMILY

A great part of this has been seeing how others

have stepped up to help. Of course, Lena,

Muhamed, and Ronyar are progressing because

of their teachers and classmates. When a new

Kurdish restaurant opened in my neighborhood –

The Gundis – the owners agreed to hire Mustafa

to play music there, and continue to ask about

the family often. When I mentioned my time

with Muhameds to my own family, my 93-year-

old grandmother in Missouri knitted them an

afghan. When I brought the idea of inviting a

group of Syrian families to the museum where I

work, my coworkers eagerly stepped up to help.

Refugees are us. When I speak with Mustafa and

Shaho, I see the great-grandparents who I never

met, who came to America from Yugoslavia more

than a century ago, to give me a better life.”

PERSONAL STORIES

5453

At a time when the world is experiencing the

highest levels of displacement on record, the

U.S. is undercutting its refugee resettlement

program, which has taken decades to build

and develop. At the same time, the needs of

refugees in the U.S. are changing. Some of

the greatest needs identified by families with

whom SCN works and SCN volunteers were increased

employment opportunities, ESL programs that

allow refugees to work, guidance programs

that promote economic independence, and

language-accessible resources that outline

policies around health care and housing and

renting rights.

The following are recommendations related to

different stakeholders:54

RECOMMENDATIONS

TO THE ADMINISTRATION:

• SET ALL PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATIONS TO AT

LEAST 95,000.

Each year, the Presidential Determination

should be put forth to at least 95,000,

in line with historic averages, after

required consultations with Congress.

• ENSURE THAT REFUGEES FROM ALL REGIONS

ARE BEING ACTIVELY RESETTLED WITHOUT

DISCRIMINATION.

The FY2020 Presidential Determination

does not carve out regional allocations

for refugees, which puts refugees from

certain areas in danger of not being

actively considered for resettlement. For

example, only 2,764 of the 9,000 refugee

admissions for the “Near East/South

Asia” region for FY2019 were admitted.

There should be a clear and transparent

explanation of this decision-making

process provided to Congress.

• REVERSE POLICIES THAT ARE HINDERING

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT.

It is critical that robust funding is

requested for and allocated to USRAP,

duplicative vetting procedures are

streamlined, and the “travel bans” which

disproportionately impact vulnerable

refugees from Muslim-majority countries

are lifted.

• RESPOND TO REFUGEES WHOSE APPLICATIONS

ARE STUCK IN THE PIPELINE.

Many refugees have been waiting for years

for final decisions on their resettlement

cases, causing families to be split up

indefinitely and vulnerable refugees to

be stuck in unsafe situations. They and

their families deserve to be reunited.

Shannon Sweetnam,

Syrian Community Network,

Lake Forest, IL

“

54 These recommendations focus on refugee admissions and the needs of resettled

refugees, particularly looking at Syrian refugees, with whom the Syrian Community

Network primarily works. There are numerous other critical policy recommendations

regarding U.S. immigration policies, particularly changes that have created and exacer-

bated inhumane conditions for migrants and asylum-seekers on the southern border of

the U.S., including the horrifying family separation policy.

Some of the greatest needs are the ongoing

support two to five years after arrival to

become fully integrated into society and to

get access to life-changing opportunities,

such as job training, learning English,

learning to drive, educational opportunities,

and more.”

5655

are valuable and valued additions to all

local communities.

• ENSURE THAT SERVICES ARE FULLY ACCESSIBLE

TO PEOPLE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH

PROFICIENCY.

Language can be a major barrier towards

understanding and fully accessing state

services for refugees with limited

English proficiency. Executive Order

13166, “Improving Access to Services

for Persons with Limited English

Proficiency,” was put forth in 2000 to

improve access to federal programs for

people with limited English. Departments

of Human Services across all states

should ensure that translators and

language assistance are consistently

provided to refugees and others, and

should consistently assess language-

related barriers that refugees and

others face towards meaningfully

accessing their services.

• EXTEND AND REDESIGNATE TPS FOR

SYRIANS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO FLED

AFTER AUGUST 2016.

In January 2021, Syria’s designation for

TPS will expire. Unless there is a major

shift in the security and human rights

situation on the ground in Syria, it will

still not be safe for many people to

return to. It is important that Syria’s

TPS designation continues to be extended,

and is expanded to be inclusive of

refugees who arrived in the U.S. after

August 2016.

• REVERSE CUTS TO REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT

AGENCIES.

Under a current State Department policy,

local resettlement offices that expect to

resettle fewer than 100 refugees a year

will be closed, which has already caused

the loss of approximately one third of

local reception and placement programs.60

This restriction should be reversed,

and local resettlement offices should

be fully supported as they continue to

be responsive to the changing needs of

resettled refugees.

• ACTIVELY ADVOCATE FOR NON-REFOULEMENT.

The U.S. should push other countries,

particularly Lebanon, Turkey, and

Jordan, to immediately halt the forced

and coerced returns of Syrian refugees

to Syria. Not only are forced returns

illegal under international law, but the

nonconsensual deportation of Syrians is

also causing numerous among them to be

arrested, disappeared, and killed.

*Note: The principle of non-refoulement

protects individuals from

deportation to countries where

their lives would be at risk,

regardless of whether they are a

refugee or meet legal requirements

for asylum. The U.S. is also

bound to this principle, and

changes in immigration policies,

particularly recent deportations

of undocumented immigrants, have

violated it.

TO CONGRESS:

• HOLD THE ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE FOR

REFUGEE ADMISSIONS.

Congress should conduct resolute

oversight to ensure that the U.S. meets

its Presidential Determination admissions

each year.

• PASS THE NO BAN ACT (H.R. 2214/S. 1123).

All members of Congress should co-

sponsor and work to pass the National

Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for

Nonimmigrants (No BAN) Act, which would

repeal the “travel ban” Executive Orders

which have banned refugees and other

individuals from certain Muslim-majority

countries, inlcuding Syria; amend the

Immigration and Nationality Act to

explicitly prohibit discrimination based

on religion; and limit overreach by the

Executive Branch to introduce future,

similar bans.

I feel that some of the biggest needs are

acquiring the English language, employment

opportunities and job security, and a sense

of community.”Mona Megahed,

Syrian Community Network, Atlanta, GA

“

• PASS THE GRACE ACT (H.R. 2146/S. 1088).

All members of Congress should co-sponsor

and work to pass the Guaranteed Refugee

Admission Ceiling Enhancement (GRACE)

Act, which would set the annual minimum

Presidential Determination at 95,000

people, the annual average since 1980.

• APPROPRIATE ROBUST FUNDING TO SUPPORT

REFUGEE ASSISTANCE AND ADMISSIONS.

These accounts include the Department

of Health and Human Services’ Refugee

and Entrant Assistance account, the

Department of State’s Migration and

Refugee Assistance account and Emergency

Refugee and Migration Assistance account,

and USAID’s International Disaster

Assistance account.

TO LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS:

• ENCOURAGE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, WITH NO

DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION, RACE,

NATIONALITY, ETC.

The Trump administration has just put

forth a new Executive Order which states

that refugees will only be resettled

“in those jurisdictions in which both

the State and local governments have

consented to receive refugees,” which

effectively allows state and local

jurisdictions to deny entry to refugees

who have been approved for resettlement.

If this policy moves forward, local

elected officials should make clear that

their states and communities welcome

refugees with open arms and without

discrimination, knowing that refugees

55 Refugee Council USA, “Where are the Refugees?” 12 June 2019: http://www.rcusa.

org/report.