The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported a record high of 22.5 million refugees worldwide in 2016. Of that number, only 189,300 people, or 0.008 percent, were permanently resettled.
The United States Refugee Admissions Program, comprised of four federal agencies and 14 domestic and international non-governmental organizations, oversees refugee resettlement throughout the country. Approximately two percent of refugees admitted to the U.S. are resettled in Nebraska.
Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Inc. (LFS) serves refugees through the Community Services core competency. It is one of three resettlement agencies in the state.
In fiscal 2017, which ended Sept. 30, LFS resettled a combined total of 901 refugees in Omaha and Lincoln.
When the United Nations approves a refugee for resettlement to the United States, they are assigned to one of nine national resettlement agencies. LFS partners with two of these agencies – Church World Service (CWS) in Omaha and Lincoln, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) in Omaha.
The graphs below illustrate LFS’ resettlement numbers by location and agency over the previous eight years.
On Sept. 29, President Trump announced the “Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2018”. The determination was set at 45,000 refugees.
This means that the United States will resettle an estimated 45,000 refugees in FY18. The fiscal year is effective Oct. 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018. This is the lowest determination set since the formalization of the resettlement determination under the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1980.
Last week, the Trump administration increased security vetting for incoming refugees, as well as a 90-day ban on refugees originating from 11 countries. These adjustments are expected to delay or halt new refugee arrivals.
Federal policy shifts have a direct impact on local refugee resettlement. In the next six months, LFS could resettle as few as 20 to 30 refugees. However, ongoing changes or additions to refugee admissions policy may affect these estimates.
In addition to resettlement, LFS serves refugees at International Center of the Heartland in Omaha and with post-90-day services in Lincoln.
