Refuge 101 with Carly Boos of the International Rescue Committee
In an effort to better understand the challenges refugees face in our communities and what they experience during the process of qualifying for refugee status in the United States, the LWV-PA Immigration Committee sponsored a webinar on March 3.
Speaker Carly Boos, Community Relations Manager with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), described the services provided by the IRC, which was founded in 1942 at the instigation of Albert Einstein. While the IRC’s primary focus is refugee resettlement, it offers numerous other services to meet the needs of our refugee population and help them rebuild their lives. The IRC also conducts programs for survivors of torture and human trafficking.
The process of referral to the IRC can take up to two years and begins with an assessment and referral by the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) and then goes through numerous security and background programs. As Boos put it, “Refugees are the most vetted persons in the U.S.”
Because refugees typically come to the United States with very little in the way of personal items or assets, their needs are many—from furniture to clothing to transportation. Housing is one of the most difficult needs to fill in Southern California. Refugees must find landlords who will waive credit reporting. People who have available housing can work with Airbnb’s Open Door program to offer housing for refugees.
IRC is requesting advocacy for the Afghan Adjustment Act and for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainian asylum seekers. If you are interested in helping, please contact the IRC at https://www.rescue.org/take-action. LWV has not taken a position on these two actions to date.
To view the IRC presentation from March, go to the LWV-PA website and click on “Watch Videos” (left-hand column), or click here.
The LWV-PA Immigration Committee is calling on LWV-PA members to support AB-1368 (Calderon), “Social services for persons granted asylum,” and AB-937 (Carrillo), “Immigration enforcement.” Both bills are supported by the League of Women Voters of California.
— Karen Roberson
