Frequently Asked Questions

The 1951 Refugee Convention spells out that a refugee is someone who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.” In 1980, the US adopted the UN’s definition via the US Refugee Act of 1980, and uses this definition today as the foundation of our domestic refugee resettlement program. It is a common misconception that all refugees are from a particular country, ethnic group, or class background, and the definition outlined above encompasses people from all over the world from all different backgrounds and identities.

YES! Refugees are documented and legally authorized immigrants in the United States. They have extensive paperwork that supports their residency here, including an employment authorization document (EAD), otherwise known as a “work permit.” This document, issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), provides temporary employment authorization to non-citizens in the US. Refugees also enter the work force almost immediately upon arrival. A steady job is crucial to build a life of self-sufficiency in the US, and the resettlement agency begins to help refugees find employment within a few weeks of their arrival in the Shenandoah Valley.

Resettlement is one of the most difficult ways to enter the US, and refugees are the most thoroughly vetted individuals allowed in. Refugees undergo a wide variety of extensive biographic and biometric evaluations, and only a very small percent of the applicant pool is accepted into the country for resettlement due to these rigorous screenings. These lengthy screenings often delay resettlement for years, and individuals can be denied entry based upon an immense number of reasons. Among these, for example, are an active tuberculosis diagnosis, or a history of drug or alcohol dependence, or broader terrorism related inadmissibility grounds.

In the past five years, CWS Harrisonburg resettled an average of about 150 refugees every year. Local resettlement office arrival numbers can change drastically from year to year depending on the total number of refugees that the US accepts each year (referred to as the refugee ceiling). This is determined by the President at the onset of each federal fiscal year.

This can really change from year to year! In the last 5 years, most of the refugees resettled by CWS Harrisonburg were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Iraq. But we have also seen arrivals from Syria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Sudan, Colombia, Somalia, Pakistan, El Salvador, Burma, Kyrgyzstan, Honduras, Ethiopia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Tunisia in the past 5 years.

CWS Harrisonburg works with local landlords to find safe, affordable, and secure housing for newly arriving families. Apartments are furnished with largely donated furniture and home items so that refugees arrive to a welcoming space in their first moments in the United States. New arrivals sign their own leases and have control of their home life when they arrive.

Because refugees arrive from all over the world, they represent languages spoken all over the world. Many new arrivals speak more than one language!

The U.S. government contracts with resettlement agencies like CWS to resettle refugees across the country and directly administer services that help newly arrived refugees rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient, productive members of their new communities in the U.S.

Across the U.S., CWS directly administers nine local offices and contracts with an additional 25 affiliates throughout the nation. Together, CWS’ network of 34 offices partner with local organizations, volunteers, and faith communities to help refugees resettle.

CWS offices offer newly arrived refugees basic needs support, case management, cultural orientation, health access assistance, and job preparation and placement help.

Over the past 70 years, CWS has helped more than 850,000 refugees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and other immigrants rebuild their lives. Whether by serving the most vulnerable where they are or by fostering welcoming communities and networks of vitality, CWS has been at the forefront of refugee work since it first opened its doors in 1946.