Refugee Resettlement

A New & Safe Home

In 1980, the U.S. Congress established the United States Refugee Resettlement Program to respond to the needs of refugees around the world. For the most vulnerable refugees, resettlement to a safe country is their best hope for finding safety and building a future for their children. Each year, the U.S. State Department extends welcome to thousands of refugees and works with local refugee resettlement offices like CWS Greensboro to help these newcomers rebuild their lives.
Refugees have lost their homes, family, friends, and sense of belonging. Together, we can welcome them to safety and hope.

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Refugees welcomed in 2022

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Afghans Resettled since Fall 2021

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Refugees welcomed since 2009

U.S. Refugee Reception and Placement Program

The U.S. State Department contracts with local refugee resettlement agencies to prepare for and welcome newly-arrived refugees to communities across the country. This Reception and Placement program serves refugees during their first 90 days in the U.S. through securing and furnishing housing and providing cultural orientation, community navigation support, and basic needs assistance. As a refugee resettlement agency, CWS follows strict guidelines to provide core services.

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Ongoing Case Management Support

Refugees have a long journey to rebuild their lives here in the Triangle--much longer than the R&P program's 90 day period! CWS Durham offers ongoing support through two intensive case management programs: the Matching Grant program and the Preferred Communities program. Refugees are eligible to access these services for up to five years after arriving in the U.S.

Matching Grant

The Matching Grant Program is a six-month employment program that provides intensive case management services to help clients achieve economic self-sufficiency. This program provides case management services, employment services, and financial assistance along with other useful resources, such as English as a Second Language courses and Job Readiness training.

Preferred Communities

The Preferred Communities program is a year-long intensive case management program that helps vulnerable refugees along the path to self-sufficiency by providing individually-tailored resources and connections to the wider community. Clients enrolled in the Preferred Communities program develop a personalized self-sufficiency plan to help them achieve their goals, whether that is navigating the U.S. healthcare system on their own or finding quality childcare for a new baby. The Preferred Communities program helps ensure that every refugee we serve is equipped to overcome barriers and navigate U.S. society independently.

Resettlement FAQ

The 1951 Refugee Convention spells out that a refugee is someone who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.” In 1980, the US adopted the UN’s definition via the US Refugee Act of 1980, and uses this definition today as the foundation of our domestic refugee resettlement program. It is a common misconception that all refugees are from a particular country, ethnic group, or class background, and the definition outlined above encompasses people from all over the world from all different backgrounds and identities.

Yes, refugees are documented and legally authorized immigrants in the United States. They have extensive paperwork that supports their residency here, including an employment authorization document (EAD), otherwise known as a “work permit.”

A steady job is crucial to build a life of self-sufficiency in the US, and our office begins to help refugees find employment within a few weeks of their arrival in the Triangle. Learn More →

CWS Greensboro does not house refugees. Our office works closely with local housing resources that are safe, affordable, and along public transit lines that provide leasing options for refugees. These housing options are secured about a month in advance of a refugee’s arrival by the case manager assigned to their case, furnished with largely donated furniture and home items and refugees arrive to their new residences directly from the airport with a small sense of home waiting for them. New arrivals sign their own leases and have complete control of their home life from day one in the US.

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Contact

Resettlement Office

336-617-0381
greensborooffice@cwsglobal.org

Legal Office

336-676-4223