Sec. 2. Findings
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The Congress makes the following findings: The United States has enhanced and accelerated its efforts to resettle Iraqi refugees since 2007. Resettlement in the United States remains an important option for refugees around the world that lack any other durable solution. Many of these refugees are victims of torture and persecution, or were forced to flee because of support they gave to American military, government, or media operations. Refugees are often a product of human rights atrocities and war, making them likely to have suffered traumatic events which require the United States to offer them protection and meet their needs once they arrive here.
In fiscal year 2012, a total of 58,238 refugees were resettled in the United States, including 12,163 from Iraq. Upon arrival in the United States, refugees are entitled to cash and medical assistance for up to 36 months and access to social services, such as job placement, from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, but refugees actually receive only 8 months of cash and medical assistance. When given adequate support through the resettlement system, refugees can successfully become self-sufficient and contribute positively to their communities.
Additional resources and better data could strengthen refugee services and better respond to the need of highly vulnerable refugees. Funding formulas used by the Office of Refugee Resettlement are retroactive in nature, using refugee admission data from up to 3 prior years, so that large increases in refugee admissions are not adequately reflected in the amount of resources provided by the Office. United States resettlement policy assumes refugees will be able to quickly become self-sufficient, while specifically offering resettlement to individuals who have specific vulnerabilities that inhibit their ability to achieve self-sufficiency and integrate into society.
Some refugees will have mental health difficulties associated with trauma or torture and this is a significant barrier to self-sufficiency and integration into a community when it is not addressed with adequate and appropriate services. Secondary migration is not properly tracked, and resources are not available for States and agencies experiencing high levels of secondary migration. Refugee services are provided by national resettlement agencies, community based organizations, charities, and nonprofit organizations and coordinated locally by State refugee programs, and all the organizations should be supported in their mission to provide refugee services.