PART 1 PUTTING PART 2 APPLYING THE PART 3 PLANNING PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK IN KEY FOR ALL INTO PRACTICE PROGRAM AREAS The Commissioner’s Foreword THIS VOLUME GREW FROM A SEED PLANTED IN APRIL 2001 in Norrköping, Sweden, at the International Conference on the Reception and Integration of Resettled Refugees, hosted by the Government of Sweden. Several hundred government officials, UNHCR staff, NGO representatives and resettled refugees gathered there for intensive discussions on how to help resettled refugees to integrate in their new countries. One of the ideas was to produce a book to share experience and good practice across international borders. The result is this Handbook to guide the reception and integration of resettled refugees. Its production was a truly collaborative effort, with NGOs, governments and UNHCR staff contributing in many different ways. It would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the Government of Australia and the long, hard work of experts at the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture in Melbourne, Australia, to whom UNHCR is extremely grateful. Resettlement is a vital durable solution for many refugees around the world. It offers protection and a new beginning to tens of thousands of men, women and children, many of whom have suffered atrocious forms of persecution. However, resettlement is a complex and difficult process, which does not end when a refugee steps off the plane in his or her new country. On the contrary, that is just the start of the integration challenge. UNHCR’s new Agenda for Protection calls upon states to put in place policies to ensure that resettlement runs in tandem with a vigorous integration policy. Language training, education, vocational training, employment, support for family reunification – these and many other activities are the building blocks of integration. And while resettlement is a way of protecting refugees and a tangible sign of responsibility-sharing by states, there is no doubt that refugees also make important contributions to their new societies. I hope this Handbook will prove useful for government and NGO officials in countries setting up resettlement programs for the first time. Since the environments in which refugees resettle are extremely diverse, this should not be considered a ‘how to’ manual. Instead, it is intended to assist those who are developing programs for resettled refugees by sharing a wide range of practices from five continents. I am sure that both ‘old hands’ and newcomers to refugee resettlement will derive inspiration from this volume. Together we are working to provide refugees with a chance at a new life. Ruud Lubbers UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT iii Introducing Integration: Some Personal Views IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF MY EXPERIENCE AS A REFUGEE, a volunteer, a resettlement worker, or in my capacity now as a government official in my new home, there were times when I was about to lose hope of seeing indicators of a better future for refugees and meaningful responses to their plight from the international community. In each of those stages there was a critical event that kept my hopes alive. As a refugee, resettlement was the most significant event, which revived my shattered hopes. It was a departure from nowhere and an opportunity to restore a normal life. Being accepted by the host community, and enjoying the privileges and fulfilling my obligations as a citizen was another significant event in my life. Today as a professional and a stakeholder in the resettlement and integration of refugees I see the development of this Handbook as a cornerstone in building the capacity of the international community to respond meaningfully to the plight of refugees. It is another significant event in my experience which will keep my hopes for a better future for refugees alive for some years to come. Ismail M Ibrahim RESETTLED REFUGEE NATIONAL REFUGEE EDUCATION COORDINATOR, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NEW ZEALAND iv REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PART 1 PUTTING PART 2 APPLYING THE PART 3 PLANNING PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK IN KEY FOR ALL INTO PRACTICE PROGRAM AREAS AFTER 26 YEARS IN THE USA, I HAVE BEGUN TO examine my own integration into the complex fabric of American society. In some ways it has come naturally, but there are times when I have had to be intentional about integrating. Integration is a long and personal journey involving self-examination, acceptance in a new community and a sense of belonging. It requires a level of pride in one’s identity, and a willingness to adopt aspects of the cultural practices of the host community. Integration is more than achieving self-sufficiency. It includes a commitment to participate fully in the receiving society and to expect responsible reciprocity from host communities. Although integration is a personal journey, external factors can influence the degree and willingness of individuals or groups to integrate and enhance mutual respect. Receiving communities which demonstrate acceptance, and embrace newcomers by respecting their cultures and valuing their contributions, will empower newcomers to integrate with ease and confidence. These welcoming communities see newcomers as a gift, rather than a threat. Unfortunately, however, many refugees escape hostile environments only to resettle in another hostile and foreign society. This Handbook is a resource to support host communities and resettled refugees to work in partnership to create an environment which fosters leadership, and to institutionalise policies that support newcomer contributions in meaningful ways. It will, I hope, empower resettled refugees to organise and mobilise their communities to continue to seek freedom and justice in their new home. It will help resettlement countries to understand better the challenges involved in resettlement, while creating innovative programs to help refugees rebuild their lives with dignity. KaYing Yang RESETTLED REFUGEE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTHEAST ASIA RESOURCE CENTER (SEARAC), USA REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT v INTRODUCING INTEGRATION: SOME PERSONAL VIEWS IN 1987 MYSELF AND MY FAMILY – MY WIFE, BOYS aged 6 & 3 and my 60-year-old mother – were forced to flee our homeland. Even now, memories of our flight can keep me awake all night. All through that agonizing experience, my biggest worry was the uncertainty of the future. As a refugee, without a place to call home, I often wondered: Does anybody care? Will we be accepted somewhere? What will happen to my children? Starting over in a new country was at times overwhelming, even for me, and I was a seasoned traveller who had studied and worked in several countries. I learned first hand that resettlement – in a generous country like Canada – can be as hard as the escape from our homeland was. In my family, each of us had a different integration experience. Although we were willing to work hard, we needed people to accept us for who we were, to see us as equals and to give us the opportunity to be fellow citizens. Looking back, I can say that people did care. We were accepted for who we were and we were given a place to call home and the chance to call ourselves Canadian. In return, we have given back as much as we can by working hard and taking the responsibility of Canadian citizenship to heart. This was all possible because there were programs in place and a community willing to help us. Resettled refugees need to have hope for the future. Hope can be nurtured – and realized – if refugees are seen as equals and given the chance to engage fully in all aspects of community life. This can best be achieved by fully involving the grassroots community in a refugee’s settlement. I hope this Handbook, which explores the many facets of the resettlement process, becomes a real tool to enhance refugee integration around the world. That would enable refugee families who face the same uncertainty as mine once did, to have the opportunity we had to find hope and a place to call home. Fariborz Birjandian RESETTLED REFUGEE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CALGARY CATHOLIC IMMIGRATION SOCIETY ALBERTA, CANADA vi REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PART 1 PUTTING PART 2 APPLYING THE PART 3 PLANNING PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK IN KEY FOR ALL INTO PRACTICE PROGRAM AREAS Contents The Commissioner’s Foreword iii Introducing Integration: Some Personal Views iv List of Tables viii Country-of-origin Background Information: Key Websites ix Acronyms ix Acknowledgments x Using this Handbook xii PART ONE Putting Principles into Practice CHAPTER 1.1 Why Offer a Formal Refugee Resettlement Program? 1 CHAPTER 1.2 Introducing this Handbook 9 CHAPTER 1.3 Laying the Foundations for Integration: Planning Goals 15 CHAPTER 1.4 Implementing Integration in Contrasting Global Settings 37 CHAPTER 1.5 Establishing a New Integration Program 47 PART TWO Applying the Framework in Key Program Areas CHAPTER 2.1 Matching People with Communities: Placement in the Receiving Society 57 CHAPTER 2.2 The First Weeks and Months: Reception Arrangements 69 CHAPTER 2.3 Promoting Integration through Early Settlement and Social Support 75 CHAPTER 2.4 Meeting Immediate Material Needs: Income Support and Establishment Resources 99 CHAPTER 2.5 Easing Early Communication: Language Assistance 109 CHAPTER 2.6 Fostering Independent Communication: Language Training Programs for Adult Resettled Refugees 121 CHAPTER 2.7 Making Sense of a New Country: Orientation Programs and Processes 141 CHAPTER 2.8 A Place to Call Home: Access to Secure and Affordable Housing 161 CHAPTER 2.9 Building Bridges to Economic Self-sufficiency: