Describes the services offered through the refugee resettlement agency for the state of Iowa. Now housed in the Department of Human Services, the Bureau of Refugee Services has been working since 1975 with the U.S. Department of State to help refugees adapt to life in the U.S. Recognized as the top voluntary resettlement agency for its accomplishments in refugee employment and minimizing out-migration, the Bureau has been involved in assisting refugees from Bosnia, Cambodia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Vietnam. As a consequence of the Bureau’s bilingual and ethnic-specific services, the state of Iowa has become the largest resettlement site for Sudanese refugees in the entire country. In addition to providing background on the Bureau, the web site contains general information about the U.S. refugee program; statistics on regional allotments and actual admissions, ethnicity of arrivals in Iowa, and employment of refugees; the Bureau’s annual report and a description of staff functions andthe names of incumbents; information about the Bureau’s resettlement, interpreter, and employment services as well as volunteer opportunities; factual information that counters commonly held myths and misconceptions about refugees; and frequently asked questions, with answers that include links to other relevant web sites.
