Iraq's Refugees - Not Disappearing

Are we at risk of taking our eyes off the ball? Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) is quoted in this morning's Washington Post on the Iraq war asking just that question. The paper's editorial page urges the Obama administration to continue to focus attention and resources on an Iraq that's far from stable, even as it prioritizes other foreign policy concerns. We'd highlight one important component of the United States' obligations in Iraq that the Post left out. The 2 million-plus Iraqis who have fled their homes since the beginning of the war remain in dire straits. HRF welcomed the appointment of Samantha Power to coordinate the administration's efforts affecting Iraq's displaced. It's crucial that the United States continue to lead the international response to the humanitarian crisis unleashed by the war - through aid to the region, ongoing resettlement of the most vulnerable Iraqis, and diplomatic efforts to ensure that Iraqi refugees return to Iraq only under safe, voluntary, and dignified conditions.

Resettlement of Iraqi refugees on track; Foley leaves State

Good news on the resettlement front – the United States resettled 1,900 Iraqis in June, for a fiscal year 2009 total of 13,537. Last September, the government set a goal of bringing 17,000 vulnerable Iraqi refugees to safety in the United States during the course of the year. Nine months into the fiscal year, they’ve met 80 percent of that goal. It’s by far the best U.S. resettlement effort since this humanitarian crisis began with the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Much credit is due to Ambassador James Foley, who has served as Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues in the State Department since September 2007. When he came on board, U.S. resettlement efforts for Iraqis began to improve, and the improvement has been steady and much welcome. Last month, President Obama nominated Ambassador Foley to be U.S. ambassador to Croatia (he previously served as ambassador to Haiti from 2003 to 2005). It’s unclear whether he’ll be replaced in the State Department. We hope that Ambassador Foley’s departure doesn’t indicate a decreasing commitment to resettlement of the most vulnerable Iraqis – particularly as the United States military disengages from Iraq.

USCIS/DHS Guidance for Iraqi Refugees

U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a very useful fact sheet last week that provides an overview of Iraqi refugee processing, with guidelines for Iraqis who wish to apply for refugee status, for asylum, or for the Special Immigrant Visa program. Check it out here.

In Memory of Arthur Helton

Today we remember Arthur C. Helton – a dedicated advocate for refugees and displaced people – who died in the bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003.

A lawyer and human rights advocate, Mr. Helton worked at Human Rights First, then the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, from 1982 to 1994, where he led the Refugee Protection Program and created the asylum pro bono representation project – an initiative that has grown over the years and now provides representation to over 1,000 asylum seekers each year.

In 1994, Mr. Helton went on to establish the Forced Migration Project at the Open Society Institute, and then joined the Council of Foreign Relations as the Director of Peace and Conflict Studies and the Senior Fellow for Refugee Studies and Preventive Action in 1999.

Mr. Helton devoted his life to protecting the rights of those displaced in times of conflict and was widely respected as an expert on refugee and migration issues. He was at the forefront of legislative battles and was a crucial voice in shaping U.S. national policy on refugees and asylum seekers. He wrote extensively on the U.S. and the international community’s response to refugee crises and was a leading advisor to the United Nations on refugee issues, pushing for strong refugee protection policies. Mr. Helton was known especially for the work he did on the Indo-Chinese refugee crisis in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and on the refugee movements following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Human Rights First continues to turn to Mr. Helton’s memory as a model of commitment to the development of sound and moral policy regarding refugees, in the U.S. and across the globe. One year ago, we launched an advocacy project specifically devoted to the Iraqi refugee crisis – the greatest displacement in the Middle East since 1948. We think of Mr. Helton’s work daily as we carry out our own in our New York and DC offices.

Though I never had the privilege of meeting Mr. Helton, I have been lucky enough to be able to honor his legacy as the Arthur C. Helton Fellow working in Human Rights First’s Refugee Protection and Lifeline for Iraqi Refugees programs. My work has led me to interact with many who knew him personally – as a colleague, an academic advisor, a friend, and a mentor – and they have all left me with the same impression: Mr. Helton was not only a man who worked to change the lives of millions, but one who inspired those he met – and some, like myself, who never had the chance to meet him – to carry on his tradition of commitment to the protection of the rights of the displaced.

Jessica Chicco
Arthur C. Helton Fellow
Refugee Protection Program
Human Rights First

Voices of Iraqis in Egypt - Website Launched

According to the latest UNHCR numbers, 40,000 to 100,000 Iraqis have fled to Egypt. It's a wide range because it's very difficult to get accurate numbers especially for an urban refugee population. Regardless of the figure, Egypt is clearly a major destination, alongside Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran, for Iraqis who cannot live in safety in their own country.

We've been working with a filmmaker in Cairo who put together an excellent short documentary about Iraqi refugees living in Egypt. Most do not have permanent status in Egypt; their futures are uncertain, and their access to health care, education, and jobs is extremely limited. Joshua van Praag, along with other advocates based in Cairo - Dr. Barbara Harrell-Bond (founder/ Director of the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford) and Janet McGiffin - just launched a comprehensive website focusing on Iraqis in Egypt. You should check out the film, and you can also read or listen to the stories of many Iraqis living in Egypt, in their own voices.

Embassy in Baghdad Announces Visa Program for Iraqis Who Helped the U.S.

We were surprised and pleased to see on Thursday that the U.S. embassy in Baghdad announced the launch of a program that will provide 5,000 special immigrant visas each year for the next five years to Iraqis who worked for the U.S. military or private contractors for at least a year since 2003 and are experiencing or have experienced an ongoing serious threat in Iraq as a result of their employment.

This program, of course, is mandated by the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act, which President Bush signed into law in January 2008. (The Embassy press release references legislation in June, but that was simply an amendment that clarified that the new SIV program would be open for business in FY 08 and not FY 09.) Implementation of the law has been incremental - often but not always for legitimate logistical reasons - and so the public commitment of the State Department and Embassy Baghdad are welcome steps.

Notable media coverage last week:

• New York Times
• Los Angeles Times
• Washington Post
• Associated Press
• Reuters UK
• CNN

An important distinction, sometimes missed by reporters, is the difference between the U.S. refugee resettlement program and the SIV program. Both programs provide paths for Iraqis to come to the U.S. and eventually establish permanent residence here - though it takes months and even years for the relevant applications to pass through all stages of adjudication and security clearance - but the routes are distinct. The U.S. set a goal of bringing 12,000 Iraqi refugees here in FY 08 (10/1/07 - 9/30/08) through the refugee resettlement program. The 12K is out of a total of 28,000 for the Near East/South Asia region, and a global cap of 80,000. Separately, the U.S. will make available 5,000 SIVs each year for five years to Iraqis who worked with the U.S. government or contractors (and additional visas for their immediate family). An earlier SIV program, under a different law, provided visas for Iraqi and Afghan translators. (State Department FAQs on that program can be found here.)

And like all immigration applications, these are rigorously reviewed by U.S. government agencies - an application is by no means a guarantee of admission to the U.S.

Other helpful resources on the SIV program that was mandated by the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act:

• State Department FAQs on the SIV program
  
• USCIS fact sheet on the SIV program (July 9)
• USCIS fact sheet on immigration options for Iraqis (July 15)
• I-360 instructions (updated May 27)
• DHS guidance on SIV program adjudication (July 7)
  
• State Department guidance on SIV adjudication (June 18)