Definitions
Refugee: Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict, or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country. Refugees are defined and protected in international law by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The U.S. incorporated our obligations to international law through the Refugee Act of 1980, which is part of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.
*Resettlement Agency*: Non-profit national resettlement agencies and their local offices and affiliates assist refugees during their initial resettlement in the U.S. The assistance includes helping them enroll in employment services and in finding jobs, registering children and youth for school, accessing medical care, connecting with social services, and with language classes. In coordination with publicly supported refugee service and assistance programs, resettlement agencies’ local affiliates and offices focus on helping newcomers achieve economic self-sufficiency through employment, money management support, and credit history creation as soon as possible after their arrival in the U.S.