Both the United States government and the United Nations define a refugee as:
"A person who is living outside his/her country and is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of a well-founded fear that he/she will be persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group."
This declaration comes from a special document known as the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. It has remained the guiding principle ever since.
The President of the United States determines who is eligible to enter the country as a refugee and invites them to resettle here.
Individuals displaced by natural disasters who remain in their own country are not considered refugees. Also excluded are persons commonly known as "economic migrants", whose primary reason for flight has been a desire for personal betterment rather than persecution per se.
Most importantly, the convention clearly states that refugees are entitled to protection. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the agency charged with that responsibility: providing protection to refugees worldwide.
THE ILLINOIS LEGACY
Since 1975 Illinois has resettled more than 115,000 refugees from more than 60 countries. The Refugee Program facilitates relocation and economic self-sufficiency to people who are victims of political and religious persecution that have been granted the legal right to rebuild their lives in the United States. Due to the diverse ethnic characteristics of the newly arriving refugee groups, the Refugee Program designed a unique social service program to provide specialized bilingual services.
The Refugee Program procures community-based services, which include adjustment counseling, orientation, English as a Second Language, vocational training, job readiness, and job placement. Bilingual mental health services are provided for those refugees who experienced severe trauma and require therapy. Of a total of ten program sites, six are in Chicago and four are outside Chicago city limits.
For further information and an in-depth understanding go to the Bureau of Immigrant and Refugee Services of the Illinois Department of Human Services.
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