Brave the rain - Panel Discussion this Evening on Refugees and Asylum Seekers

[Human Rights Research Network]

Wednesday November 11 6:30 pm Sullivan Science Building Rm 101
Stuck in the System? Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Discussants: Sarah Ivory (Greensboro Director, Church World Service
Greensboro); Sochealy Sin ( Lutheran Family Services); Shirley Marcus
(Guilford County Schools ).

The refugee and asylum channel is one of three means by which aliens
can legally immigrate to the United States. These idividuals are
aliens who are unable or unwilling to return to their country of
origin or nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of
persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a
social group, or political opinion. Government assistance for housing,
healthcare, English training, and jobs skills development for
displaced people has been dwindling. Moreover, refugees today are
expected to be self-sufficient and employed within 90 to 180 days of
resettlement. There is some evidence that the recession has been
tougher for refugees trying to get jobs than for the native
population. This discussion will focus on the difficulties faced by
relocation and resettlement agencies in assisting refugees and asylum
seekers and helping them become integrated into their local
communities.