Provides key facts about the differences between refugees and asylees and how they gain entrance to the United States. Prepared by the National Immigration Forum, the brochure outlines several essential points: (1) refugees apply for protection while still outside the U.S. and also usually outside their home countries, whereas those seeking asylum apply once they are in the U.S.; (2) the U.S. accepts a limited number of refugees annually, divided among different regions of the world; (3) refugee status is conferred if a person comes from one of the countries designated by the U.S. Department of State and can prove that he has a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, membership in a social group, political opinion, or national origin; (4) the U.S. government provides transitional resettlement assistance to newly arrived refugees, including food, housing, employment, medical care, counseling, and other services; (5) those seeking asylum also must prove a well-founded fear of persecution and submit an application either affirmatively or defensively, the latter as a means to prevent deportation; and (6) refugees and asylees may apply for permanent resident status after one year, but the latter wait considerably longer.
