• After withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, The U.S. government will continue to process Iraqis who apply for resettlement in the U.S., both from within Iraq and Iraqi refugees outside Iraq.

BACKGROUND:

• SECURITY CHECKS AND 2011:
• Since February 2011 when changes were made in the U.S. security check system, the process of applying for resettlement process is taking longer for all refugees. 
• After May 2011, ADDITIONAL SECURITY CHECKS WERE ADDED FOR IRAQIS, after two Iraqi refugees in Kentucky were charged with providing arms and money to Al Qaeda in Iraq. The men are in jail awaiting trial.¹
• The additional security checks caused a virtual hold on visas for all Iraqis.  In addition, some refugees who had already been accepted for resettlement had their offers rescinded (taken back) as a result of the new security checks. However, in FY 2011, (October 1 – September 30 2011) the U.S. admitted 9,388 Iraqi refugees.
• As of April 30, 2011, 202,408 Iraq refugees were registered with UNHCR.
• There is no internationally agreed upon definitive number of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons due to the fact that not all are registered with UNHCR and they are dispersed throughout the region.¹
• Iraqis in Syria and Jordan are not legally defined as refugees, but rather as guests. Both governments allow UNHCR to register Iraqis.
• The United States provides resettlement for the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees, for whom return to Iraq is not a viable option. UNHCR is the lead agency managing the third country resettlement process, and has referred Iraqi refugees to more than a dozen countries that provide permanent resettlement opportunities.
• In Fiscal Year 2011 (October 1 – September 30) the U.S. admitted 9,388 Iraqi refugees.
• In Fiscal Year 2010, the U.S. admitted 18,016 Iraqi refugees.
• In Fiscal Year 2009, the U.S. admitted 18,838 Iraqi refugees.  ((U.S. State Department, Iraqi Refugee Assistance))
• 2012: The Obama Administration stated in its “Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2012 Report to Congress”
• The “U.S. Refugee Admissions Program anticipates the continued large-scale processing of Iraqis during Fiscal Year 2012. The U.S. recognizes that the possibility of third-country resettlement must be available to the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees, and has processing facilities in Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus and Istanbul. UNHCR has referred over 15,500 Iraqi individuals to the U.S. Program in Fiscal Year 2011. ”¹
• While most Iraqis gain access to the USRAP via a referral from UNHCR, the U.S. government is also facilitating direct access to the USRAP for Iraqis with close U.S.
  affiliations in some processing locations.
•  The passage of the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act in 2008, created new categories of Iraqis who are eligible  for direct access (P-2) to the USRAP, both inside and outside Iraq. Currently, beneficiaries of P-2 categories who may seek access to the USRAP in Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq include:
  1. Iraqis who work/worked on a full-time basis as interpreters/translators for
  the U.S. Government, MNF-I in Iraq, or U.S. Forces-Iraq;
  2. Iraqis who are/were employed by the U.S. Government in Iraq;
  3. Iraqis who are/were employees of an organization or entity closely
  associated with the U.S. mission in Iraq that has received U.S.
  Government funding through an official and documented contract, award,
  grant or cooperative agreement;
  4. Iraqis who are/were employed in Iraq by a U.S.-based media organization
  or non-governmental organization;
  5. Spouses, sons, daughters, parents, and siblings of individuals described in
  the four categories above, or of an individual eligible for a Special
  Immigrant Visa as a result of his/her employment by or on behalf of the
  U.S. Government in Iraq, including if the individual is no longer alive,
  provided that the relationship is verified; and
  6. Iraqis who are the spouses, sons, daughters, parents, brothers, or sisters of
  a citizen of the United States, or who are the spouses or unmarried sons
  or daughters of a Permanent Resident Alien of the United States, as
  established by their being or becoming beneficiaries of approved family based I-130 Immigrant Visa Petitions.

• The United States has increased its in-country processing capacity nearly 200 percent since establishing a Resettlement Support Center (RSC) unit in Baghdad in FY 2008.
  • Although security and logistical challenges associated with operating an RSC in Iraq limit in-country processing capacity, it is likely that refugee admissions from Iraq will soon exceed those from some neighboring countries. Refugee processing in Iraq is a high priority for the United States with significant potential, particularly to benefit Iraqis associated with U.S. efforts in Iraq. The Departments of State and Homeland Security (DHS) continue to devote substantial resources to Iraqi refugee processing. In addition to maintaining a robust interview schedule, DHS has developed enhanced security screening to ensure the integrity and security of the program.

• In 2012, a total of up to 76,000 refugees will be admitted to the U.S.
• Within the 76,000, 35,500 spots are allocated to refugees from the Near East and South Asia region, which includes Iraq.