1). The federal government gives private, voluntary agencies responsibility to  determine where refugees will live in the United States, with approval  from the Department of State. In making these  assessments, local voluntary agency affiliates typically consider both their  own internal capacity and the capacity of the community, with different   For example, when determining  levels of emphasis on one or the other.how many refugees their community can accommodate, local affiliates in  one community told us that they primarily consider their internal  capacity—such as staffing levels, staff skills, long-term funding needs, the  number of refugees they have served in the past, and success in meeting  refugee employment goals in the previous year. The Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended,  states that it is the intent of Congress that local voluntary agency activities  should be conducted in close cooperation and advance consultation with   and the cooperative agreements that the  state and local governments,Department of State enters into with national voluntary agencies require  the agencies to conduct their reception and placement activities in this  manner. Refugees Bring Benefits to Communities but Can Pose Challenges for Service Providers

		Refugees Bring Diversity and Can Help Stimulate Development, but Can Stretch Resources and Affect Program Outcomes

Communities can benefit socially and economically from refugee  resettlement. In addition, in some communities we visited, school district  officials and health care providers said that locating interpreters for  certain languages can be difficult. In addition to stretching school district resources, refugee students can  also negatively affect district performance outcomes. Capacity Challenges Can Lead Communities to Request Restrictions or Temporary Moratoriums on Refugee Resettlement

Some communities that face challenges in serving additional refugees  have requested restrictions or even temporary moratoriums on refugee  resettlement. According to ORR, its focus on employment outcomes as a measure of  effectiveness is based on the Immigration and Nationality Act, as  amended, which requires ORR to help refugees attain economic self- sufficiency as soon as possible. Little Is Known about the Extent of Refugee Integration, but Studies Offer a Framework for Assessing Integration

		Federal Agencies Promote but Do Not Currently Measure Refugee Integration

While federal refugee resettlement programs generally provide only short- term assistance, PRM and ORR both aim to prepare refugees for long- term integration into their communities. For example, ORR’s social services grant program funds employment  services and other support services to refugees for up to 5 years after  arrival, but communities may choose to provide these services for a  shorter period of time due to local resource constraints. While refugee integration is part of ORR’s mission and overall  goal, ORR officials said they have not measured it because there is no  clear definition of integration, because it is unclear when integration  should be measured, and because the Refugee Act focuses on self- sufficiency outcomes related to employment. Studies Offer a Framework for Measuring and Facilitating Integration

Studies on refugee resettlement do not offer a broad assessment of how  well refugees have integrated into the United States. Of the 13 studies we  identified that addressed refugee integration, almost all were limited in  scope in that they focused on particular refugee groups in specific  geographic locations.of specific refugee groups, including factors that help refugees  successfully integrate into their communities. While most of the communities we visited had not established formal  goals or strategies to facilitate refugee integration, two of the eight  communities had developed formal plans to promote integration. Recommendations for Executive Action

We are making the following four recommendations based on our review:  To help ensure that state and local stakeholders have the opportunity to  provide input on the number of refugees resettled in their communities,  we recommend that  the Secretary of State provide additional guidance to resettlement  agencies and state coordinators on how to consult with local  stakeholders prior to making placement decisions, including with  whom to consult and what should be discussed during the  consultations; and  the Secretaries of State and of Health and Human Services collect  and disseminate best practices related to refugee placement  decisions, specifically on working with community stakeholders, as  well as other promising practices from communities. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

To identify the factors resettlement agencies consider when deciding  where refugees are initially placed, we reviewed relevant federal and  state laws and regulations and other relevant documents, and conducted  interviews with federal agency officials and national voluntary agency  staff. We interviewed officials from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau  of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the Department of  Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as  well as representatives from several national voluntary resettlement  agencies. To determine what is known about refugees’ integration into the United  States, we conducted a literature review of academic research on this  topic. We also obtained secondary migration data from ORR’s annual report. 2 (2011). 3-4 (2008).
Why GAO Did This Study

In fiscal year 2011, the United States admitted more than 56,000 refugees under its refugee resettlement program. Upon entry, a network of private, nonprofit voluntary agencies (voluntary agencies) selects the communities where refugees will live. The Department of State's PRM and the Department of Health and Human Services' ORR provide funding to help refugees settle in their communities and obtain employment and monitor implementation of the program. Congress has begun to reexamine the refugee resettlement program, and GAO was asked to examine (1) the factors resettlement agencies consider when determining where refugees are initially placed; (2) the effects refugees have on their communities; (3) how federal agencies ensure program effectiveness and integrity; and (4) what is known about the integration of refugees. GAO reviewed agency guidance, monitoring protocols, reports, and studies; conducted a literature review; reviewed and analyzed relevant federal and state laws and regulations; and met with federal and state officials, voluntary agency staff, and local stakeholders in eight selected communities.

What GAO Found

Voluntary agencies consider various factors when determining where refugees will be placed, but few agencies we visited consulted relevant local stakeholders, which posed challenges for service providers. When deciding how many refugees to place in each community, some voluntary agencies prioritize local agency capacity, such as staffing levels, while others emphasize community capacity, such as housing availability. Although the Immigration and Nationality Act states that it is the intent of Congress for voluntary agencies to work closely with state and local stakeholders when making these decisions, the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) offers limited guidance on how this should occur. Some communities GAO visited had developed formal processes for obtaining stakeholder input after receiving an overwhelming number of refugees, but most had not, which made it difficult for health care providers and school systems to prepare for and properly serve refugees.
State and local stakeholders reported that refugees bring cultural diversity and stimulate economic development, but serving refugees can stretch local resources, including safety net services. In addition, refugee students can negatively affect performance outcomes for school districts because they often have limited English proficiency. Furthermore, some refugees choose to relocate after their initial placement, and this secondary migration may stretch communities that do not have adequate resources to serve them. In fact, capacity challenges have led some communities to request restrictions or temporary moratoriums on resettlement.
PRM and the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) monitor their refugee assistance programs, but weaknesses in performance measurement may hinder effectiveness. Although refugees are eligible for ORR services for up to 5 years, the outcome data that ORR collects focuses on shorter-term employment outcomes. ORR officials said that their performance measurement reflects the goals outlined by the Immigration and Nationality Act--to help refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. However, the focus on rapid employment makes it difficult to provide services that may increase refugees' incomes, such as helping them obtain credentials to practice their professions in the United States.
Little is known about the extent of refugee integration into U.S. communities, but research offers a framework for measuring and facilitating integration. PRM and ORR both promote refugee integration, but neither agency currently measures integration as a program outcome. While integration is part of ORR's mission, ORR officials said one of the reasons they have not measured it is that there is no clear definition of integration. In addition, research on refugee resettlement does not offer an overall assessment of how well refugees have integrated into the United States. Most of the 13 studies GAO reviewed were limited in scope and focused on particular refugee groups in specific geographic locations. However, these studies identified a variety of indicators that can be used to assess integration as well as factors that can facilitate integration, such as English language acquisition, employment, and social support from other refugees. Despite limited national information, some U.S. communities have developed formal plans for refugee integration.

What GAO Recommends

GAO makes several recommendations to the Secretaries of State and Health and Human Services to improve refugee assistance programs in the United States. HHS and State generally concurred with the recommendations and each identified efforts they have under way or plan to undertake to address them.