2 dependency States directed toward employment and self-support, planned secondary resettlement of refugees from areas in which they were relying on cash assistance to communities with good employment opportunities, special efforts to help assure the availability of needed services to former re-education center detainees from Vietnam and to Amerasians from Vietnam, and initiatives to improve services to refugee women. At the end of FY 1989, the national dependency rate of refugees who had been in the United States less than 24 months was 48.5 percent, a reduction from the figure of 52.1 percent a year earlier. This means that over half of the refugees who had arrived in this country were self-supporting within less than two years after their arrival. In fact, 35 States had dependency rates below 33 percent, indicating that in those States more than two-thirds of the refugees were becoming self-supporting in less than two years. We know that particular areas are impacted by high concentrations of refugees and that some refugees find it difficult to become independent. However, experience shows the United States has the ability to successfully resettle the number of refugees specified in the President's proposed admissions ceiling for FY 1991. Moreover, refugees are ultimately net contributors to the economy. Once fully resettled, refugees run businesses, pay taxes, purchase goods and services, and help bolster the economy. 3 Mr. Chairman, I would be pleased to try to answer any questions that you and Members of the Committee might have. QUESTION OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT Domestic Refugee Resettlement Funding: Over the past several years, there has been declining support by the Administration for domestic resettlement assistance, even as the number of refugees requiring resettlement has increased. The Refugee Act of 1980 calls for the federal government to reimburse states for "up to 36 months" of assistance for needy refugees. Before 1986, 36 months reimbursement was provided for both AFDC and special refugee cash and medical assistance. But in 1990, this was reduced to only 4 months reimbursement for AFDC and 12 months reimbursement for refugee cash and medical aid. And I understand that this may be cut even further due to unexpected shortfalls in the HHS refugee program. The Administration has been fairly responsive in recommending refugee admissions numbers at levels which fairly meet the great needs around the world for refugee resettlement. - However, at the same time, the Administration has drastically cut domestic refugee resettlement assistance down to 4 months of AFDC reimbursement and only 12 months of refugee cash and medical assistance. And now many states well as, I understand, your own office are experiencing shortfalls in their refugee programs. now -- as What are your plans for maintaining a viable resettlement program in the face of these cuts? How can you assure that refugees are getting the services they need to gain self-sufficiency without having states and counties left with the tab? - - What plans do you have for maintaining public support for the President's level of refugee admissions which I support in light of the continuing shift of costs of resettlement onto state and local governments and voluntary agencies? Response: While it has been necessary to shorten the duration of Federal refugee funding for the State share of AFDC and Medicaid as a result of the amount of funds available for cash and medical assistance, Congress has increased other aspects of the appropriation for the domestic refugee program. 2 The appropriation for refugee social services was increased from $65 million in FY 1989 to $75 million in FY 1990 and $83 million in FY 1991. These funds are directed primarily at providing adult English language training and employment services to help refugees become employed and self-supporting. Funding for targeted assistance, which is also directed toward employment and self-support, has been increased from $34 million in FY 1989 to $44 million in FY 1990 and $49 million in FY 1991. Similarly, funding for the voluntary matching grant program, which provides an alternative to the public assistance system during a refugee's first few months in the U.S., has been increased. Funding for the matching grant program was $16 million in FY 1989 and $40 million in FY 1990 (plus $15 million appropriated to meet additional FY 1989 costs) and is $39 million in FY 1991. In addition, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has been placing increased emphasis on special efforts to help refugees become self-supporting. These have included Key States Initiative projects in four States with persistent problems of refugee dependency, Job Links projects in States with favorable employment opportunities for refugees, a Wilson/Fish demonstration project in San Diego sponsored by the U.S. Catholic Conference, and projects to provide services for refugee women, for Amerasians, and for former re-education camp detainees from 3 We believe that these special efforts, together with the increased funding for services, provide the basis for effective efforts by the States and other participants in the refugee program to help refugees achieve early employment and selfsupport and thereby for maintaining public support. - The major factor in maintaining continued public support is the successes of the refugees themselves, the majority of whom become employed, self-supporting, and contributing members of our society soon after entering the United States. |