This is very cool, a sort of Refugees 101—a summary of how the Refugee Resettlement Program is structured. Taught by Barbara Day of the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the seminar occurred as part of the Minnesota Refugee Health Conference, Nov. 5, 2008. Hat tip: Mars.
I was particularly interested in the section that listed requirements that NGO contractors (the volags) must follow and especially what sorts of items the refugees are to be given upon arrival and shortly thereafter.
Also, note that there is a requirement for the volags to coordinate with state and local governments. Both of those areas are the subjects of complaints we hear or read about often.
It got me thinking, there should be a Hotline to PRM and to the Office of Refugee Resettlement for citizens to report abuse, fraud or other types of complaints regarding the resettlement of refugees in a community. Hey maybe Obama’s folks, with the new emphasis on transparency, will get something like that going!
Is there a hotline already, does anyone know?