Abilene Biz magazine published an article this past week in which the International Rescue Committee (IRC)showcases what it can do for your business by supplying immigrant (cheap!) labor. Most refugees, even those with educations and skills, cannot get work commensurate with their training because their English is usually too weak. So your friendly refugee resettlement agency (funded by you, the taxpayer) finds them work in menial jobs.
They come to this country with little in the way of material possessions and most do not speak English at all or well enough to converse. Even so, they are required by law to be self-sufficient after four months in the United States.
That means many refugees take jobs that they are overqualified for simply because they don’t speak English. You might find a former lawyer working in an assembly line or a former business CEO doing housekeeping chores—and grateful for the opportunity.
Once again, ever watchful, Chris Coen of Friends of Refugees posts a comment to set the record straight.
Refugees are not required by law to be self-sufficient after four months in the United States. The US Department of Health and Human Services provides eight months of cash assistance for refugees, which will cover rent and other basic bills. If refugees have professional or other skills then the IRC should be assisting the refugees to learn English during those eight months so that the refugees may be directed to an appropriate job in which they may use their skills.
Christopher Coen
Friends of Refugees
FORefugees@hotmail.com
As a matter of fact, I wondered at this in Washington County, MD too. The refugees were pushed very quickly into factory/warehouse jobs and were then unable to attend the English classes that had been available to them at the local junior college. Without English they weren’t going to be rising up the employment ladder anytime soon.
I think its all about these volags (supposedly voluntary agencies) trying to unload refugees as fast as they can so they can bring more.
Back to Abilene Biz and the IRC head hunters. Need cheap manual labor? Refugees (except maybe the Iraqis!) don’t complain. They probably think that if they are not working at 4 months they will be deported or something. Contact the IRC for all your labor needs:
Contact Susanna Lubanga, employment specialist, 675-5643, ext. 10; susanna.lubanga@theirc.org. Assistance with paperwork and translators are available. An IRC rep. is also available to give on-site presentations for interested employers. IRC office is located at 3303 N. 3rd St., Suite D.
I wonder if the IRC collects anything from employers when they supply them with labor. Does anyone know? Come to think of it, do the big meatpackers give some sort of kick-back to volag head hunters?