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1 1 (January 27, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govehet0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con r ss70n I infon ing I L ba >sne1914 0 Updated January 27, 2022 Global Refugee Resettlement: Selected Issues and Questions Congress has demonstrated a continued interest in refugee resettlement, although such opportunities are available to only a tiny 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.) Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) travel bans have affected global resettlement travel at different points since March 2020. Global Displacement Trends The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs projects that in 2022 more than 274 million people worldwide will require humanitarian assistance and protection due to conflict and disaster. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that in mid-2021 (latest data available) more than 84 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide due to armed conflict, widespread or indiscriminate violence, or human rights violations. Those displaced included 26.6 million refugees, 4.4 million asylum seekers, 48 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and 5.7 million Venezuelans displaced abroad. The United States is the single largest donor, consistently providing nearly one-third (more than $11.46 billion in FY2021) of total humanitarian and emergency food assistance through global accounts. Refugees and Asylum 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 (see text box). Refugee Status Determination (RSD) is the legal or administrative process by which governments or UNHCR determines 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. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 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 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations. Refugee Resettiement 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). Of the millions of refugees of concern to UNHCR globally, less than 1% are submitted for resettlement. The number of global resettlement places available for UNHCR-submitted cases is significantly smaller than the refugee population, but experts view it as an important tool of refugee protection and response. Resettlement can also be a way for

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