Introduction to Refugees

Abstract

Every year, up to 75,000 refugees enter the United States as documented immigrants. They have fled horrible persecution, repressive governments, or death threats. They are invited to the United States to start their lives over, continuing the country's long-standing tradition of welcoming persecuted people. This chapter introduces refugees, the resettlement process in the US, and refugees and the health care system. A refugee's ability to access health care and address their health needs is one factor in his or her ability to successfully become self-sufficient in their new homes. The work of refugee resettlement is both big-helping a refugee learn English, find work, and support themselves in a new country-and nuanced, such as teaching someone the difference between prescription and over-the-counter medication, how to discern between official mail and junk solicitations, and why they should not pick flowers from their neighbor's front yard. Though the United States currently welcomes fewer than one-half the refugees it did in decades past, it is also important to remember that it provides more than half of the world's resettlement. Assisting these refugees in their path to self-sufficiency and citizenship requires the commitment of federal, state, and local governments, as well as the contributions of money, volunteer time, professional skills, and friendship of thousands of residents across the country. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)