Understanding refugee resettlement ‘ecosystems’ and contexts of reception in non-traditional destinations

Keywords: refugee, resettlement, reception, integration, incorporation
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 65

Abstract

The third-country refugee resettlement program in the United States has historically been one of the world’s largest. However, recent policy changes under shifting presidential administrations have changed the landscape of U.S. resettlement considerably. Today, resettled refugees are placed in cities and urban areas in all but 6 U.S. states. Despite coordinated administration of the Resettlement & Placement program (R&P) at the national level, local contexts of reception can vary considerably. Not only are resettlement sites different in terms of city size, infrastructure, and regional identity, but the organizations that carry out the R&P program at the local level also differ considerable in their size, networks, and capacity. These resettlement agencies (RA) are charged with providing crucial services for the first 90 days after arrival, but many are unable to extend support beyond this initial period. Moreover, these R&P funded services have been widely critiqued as “insufficient” for supporting integration or the needs of long-term adjustment (Frazier 2021a). In many cities, an array of diverse organizations has emerged to “fill in the gaps” left by short-term arrival services, including third sector organizations, civil society groups, non-profits, and faith-based communities (Frazier 2021b). These ‘resettlement ecosystems’ are formed by fluctuating conditions across resettlement cities, and can have important impacts on the long-term incorporation of refugees and other immigrants. Drawing on an ethnographic case study of refugee resettlement in Des Moines, Iowa, I examine the contexts of reception in non-traditional resettlement-receiving destinations through a focus on the distinct ‘resettlement ecosystem’ that has emerged.