The People We Serve
According to the 1951 Geneva Convention, a refugee is a person who has a “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” A refugee is a legal resident of the United States with the right to work legally, and after five years can apply for citizenship.
An immigrant is a person who voluntarily chooses to leave his or her country to permanently reside in another country. Some immigrants seek a better life; some move to join other family members; some relocate for work. Refugees, on the other hand, are often forced to flee their homes in search of safety. In both cases, they are individuals and families who have come to the United States through the established legal screening and acceptance processes, and are eager to begin a new life in the land of opportunity.
Refugee Resettlement in Georgia
Georgia has been the U.S. destination for over 60,000 refugees in the last 25 years and is one of the top 6 states in refugee resettlement. An average of 2,208 refugees have been resettled per year in Georgia since 1981. DeKalb County receives the greatest number of resettled refugees in Georgia. Most are settled in the Clarkston/Stone Mountain area.
The Benefits of a Diverse Workforce
Refugee and immigrant families possess unique assets and resources: survival skills, language skills, resiliency and flexibility, a unique perspective on the world, and unlimited potential. Refugee youth are poised to become future leaders of our globalized world. Most of our friends from other countries simply need a hand up in order to become viable members of the diverse society we live in.