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1 1 (September 01, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbqc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF.ri E.$~ & Updated September 1, 2020 Global Refugee Resettlement: Selected Issues and Questions As the number of refugees worldwide reached unprecedented levels in recent years, Congress has demonstrated a continued interest in refugee resettlement, although such opportunities are available to only a small percentage of the global refugee population. (For more information on the refugee admissions process to the United States, see CRS Report RL31269, Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy.) On March 17, 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced the suspension of global resettlement travel for refugees due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) travel bans. On June 18, 2020, they announced the resumption of resettlement departures for refugees, although many travel restrictions remained in place. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) anticipates that in 2020 more than 168 million people worldwide will require humanitarian assistance and protection due to conflict and disaster. UNHCR (see text box) reported that at the end of 2019 more than 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide due to armed conflict, widespread or indiscriminate violence, or human rights violations. Those displaced included 26 million refugees, 4.2 million asylum seekers, 45.7 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and 3.6 million Venezuelans displaced abroad. The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance, consistently providing between one-quarter and one-third of total global humanitarian contributions. From FY2015 to FY2019, the United States provided over $43 billion in global humanitarian assistance. Relug,ees ,,,nd .Seekers Under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention), a refugee is legally defined as a person fleeing his or her country because of persecution or owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside of the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country. A cornerstone of the Refugee Convention is the principle of non-refoulement, which means that a refugee should not be returned to a country where he or she faces serious threats to his or her life or freedom. An asylum-seeker is someone who has applied for refugee status but whose claim has not yet been definitively evaluated. Once an individual is considered a refugee, that individual automatically has certain legal rights, and states that are States Parties to the Refugee Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol are obligated to provide certain resources and protection. UNHCR's mandate is to lead and coordinate international action for the protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems worldwide. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1950, UNHCR's mandate is to provide legal protection, implement long-term solutions, and coordinate emergency humanitarian relief for refugees and other displaced persons around the world. UNHCR works with governments to seek permanent solutions to refugee situations and prefers voluntary repatriation, whereby refugees return to their home countries. If repatriation is impossible, then UNHCR seeks either local integration or resettlement in a third country. UNHCR depends almost entirely on voluntary contributions to fund its operations. The United States is UNHCR's largest donor, with U.S. funding provided primarily through the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account in annual State/Foreign operations appropriations. Refugee Status Determination (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. Countries have the primary responsibility for determining the status of asylum-seekers, but UNHCR may do so when countries are unable or unwilling. During mass movements of refugees (usually due to conflicts or generalized violence as opposed to individual persecution), individual asylum interviews cannot be conducted for everyone who has crossed the border. In such cases, it is generally evident why people have fled. As a result, with the agreement of the host country, these groups are often declared prima facie refugees. Re - e . . - -- ,. Resettlement is the transfer of refugees from a country where they have received temporary asylum to another country that has agreed to admit them and ultimately grant them permanent settlement with legal and physical protection, including access to civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights similar to those enjoyed by nationals. It generally leads to permanent resident status or even citizenship in the resettlement country. There may be many reasons for resettlement. In most cases, there is no prospect for repatriation or local integration, and the situation in the host country may create particular protection concerns for the individual. The refugee resettlement process typically involves UNHCR and the government of the resettlement country: 1. UNHCR registration (often includes taking biometrics); 2. UNHCR Refugee Status Determination (RSD); 3. UNHCR identification of a need for resettlement; 4. resettlement country RSD and admissibility procedures; 5. clearances by resettlement country; and 6. travel (reception and integration in resettlement country). ~fl:O~ gognpo goo g , q 'S a X 11LULANJILiN,

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