What Are Refugees

What are Refugees?

There are over 14 million refugees and millions more forcibly displaced persons in the world today. These uprooted individuals have been referred to as "ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances."

They are men, women and children of all ages with women and children being among the largest categories. Refugees and displaced persons are uprooted because of persecution related to their race, religion, politics or membership in a social group. In recent years, significant numbers of refugees have come from countries where churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion are present.

While some of the uprooted may return home, many languish in poor and unstable countries or, through desperation, come unannounced to our shores seeking protection. Most can never go home and need resettlement in the United States if they are ever to be safe and free.

A refugee is a person who has fled from persecution in his homeland and can't return.

What sets refugees apart from others in need of humanitarian aid is their need for international protection. Most people can look to their own governments to protect their rights and physical security, even if imperfectly. Refugees cannot.

To attain official refugee status, a person must prove a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, membership in a social group, political opinion or national origin.

Refugees can apply for resettlement in another country either in refugee camps or at designated processing sites. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service interviews applicants to determine if they qualify for resettlement to the U.S.

After qualifying, the refugee travels to the U.S. through a national resettlement agency, such as Episcopal Migration Ministries (our national office).

The United States accepts a predetermined number of refugees each year set by Congress.

East Carolina's refugee population consists of Bosnians, Croatians, Burmese, Yugoslavians, Russians, Vietnamese, Jarai, Iranian minorities, Rwandans, Colombians and Kosovar Albanians.