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Refugees, as defined by the Refugee Act of 1980, are persons who are outside of and unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of the home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Refugee Act of 1980
Refugees are afforded the same rights as legal residents in the U.S. and are eligible to apply for lawful permanent residency after twelve months and seek naturalization after five years.
Other categories of immigrants that are eligible to receive refugee services are the following:
- Cuban/Haitian Entrant
- Asylees
- Special Immigrants
- Victims of severe forms of trafficking
- Certain Amerasians
- LPR - - lawful permanent resident who once held a status listed above
There are three Federal agencies that play key roles in the resettlement of refugees in the United States; the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Within HHS, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), Office of Global Health Affairs (OGHA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) assist refugees in their transition to the U.S. Refugees receive a medical screening overseas by panel physicians selected by the U.S. Department of Consular Offices. A copy of these medical records is provided to the U.S. Customs Office, the CDC and the refugee. The CDC enters the information into a secure web-based Electronic Disease Notification System (EDN) which is made available to state and local public health departments.
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