Resettled Refugees and the Recession

The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program doesn’t get much attention in the news, and many that have heard about the program are lost in the complicated process of resettlement.  A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor provides a bit of background on the program by following a Congolese-Rwandan family that was resettled in Clarkston, GA.  It also describes the historical context of the program, and some of the current challenges to resettlement in the U.S. – mainly, the recession.  Providing a place of refugee for the uprooted is a commendable achievement of the U.S.; however, as Americans are feeling the effect of the economic downturn, so too are refugees resettled in the U.S.  The effects of unemployment and the threat of homelessness are very real circumstances for some refugees adjusting to life in the U.S.

What it’s like to be a refugee in America – Christian Science Monitor