How difficult is it to get into the United States as a refugee? A lot more difficult that most other countries, given our extensive security screen process. Every year, in keeping with our history as a nation of immigrants and refugees, the president works with Congress to decide on an annual quota of the world’s most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers, who will be admitted to the U.S. Last year the quota was 75,000; this year the quota increased to 85,000. Not all of the quota is always filled; last year the U.S. settled fewer than that quota.
For all resettled refugees, the process begins when the UN refugee agency, a U.S. Embassy or an authorized NGO refers a refugee living outside his or her home country, usually in a country of first asylum, or a refugee camp, to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which is run by the State Department. Someone from a Resettlement Support Center then helps the refugee and his/her family (still in their country of first asylum) prepare their case file. This process, which can take months, involves gathering photos, checking the facts in the files and generally collecting information for the security clearance process. When complete, the case is presented to the Department of Homeland Security for adjudication. The refugee and his family are assigned a date for their interview with an officer of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (part of Homeland Security). The waiting period can take many months as the interview occurs during the circuit conducted by DHS officials to different countries of first asylum.
If the DHS official approves the application, the refugee family undergoes medical exams, required for all seeking permanent residence in the United States. If these exams are cleared, the refugee family is assigned a U.S. refugee agency working with the State Department that agrees to be the refugee’s sponsor. They are offered a short cultural orientation program to introduce them to life in the United States. Finally, after all security and health checks are complete, the family is scheduled for travel to the U.S., usually well after a year and for some nationalities, closer to two years since the case was first referred.
In the U.S., the sponsoring agency places refugees with one of its affiliated offices and federal assistance is in the form of housing, food, clothing, orientation and assistance with access to social, medical, and employment services are provided for the refugees’ first 30-90 days.
The security vetting process
The security screening process is stringent for all refugees, but even more so for those coming from countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, whose refugees undergo an enhanced review process. Several federal agencies, including the National Counterterrorism Center and FBI, are involved, and the DHS officer who conducts the interview has specialized training for Syrian and Iraqi refugee cases. Security and criminal data bases as well as biometric information are used, and background checks make sure applicants are who they say they are. The Syrian program has benefited from the administration’s years of experience with vetting Iraqi refugee applicants, and the refugee screening process is constantly refined and updated.
The rigor and thoroughness of the vetting process has meant that fewer than 2,200 Syrian refugees have been admitted into the U.S. since the war in Syria broke out in March 2011. Most have only been admitted in the last year. Processing resettlement applications is a slow and laborious task, in part because of the security screening.
The Syrian refugee screening process is not perfect — no screening can ever be — and the shambolic situation in Syria means there will be gaps in information. But the screening is a lot more rigorous and thorough for Syrian refugees than for other visitors coming to the U.S. By contrast, tourists and businessmen undergo very little screening. It makes one wonder why a terrorist would want to infiltrate the U.S. via the refugee resettlement process. Are Syrian refugees really the problem?
Karen Jacobsen is acting director of the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University.Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
