Incoming Congolese Refugees Sanja Bebic National Refugee and Immigrant Conference: Issues and Innovations October 10, 2013 Chicago, Illinois

Cultural Orientation Resource Center at CAL Funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration to:  Research, develop and disseminate resources about refugee training and resettlement;  Provide technical assistance to refugee service providers regarding refugees’ cultures, languages and orientation needs; and  Develop a globally linked network to exchange refugee orientation information, concerns, and best practices. 2

Congolese Refugees: Where? Source : Largely from eastern Congo, in the North and South Kivu regions Primary countries of asylum: Uganda – 131,500 (settlements & Kampala) Rwanda – 59,000 (camps) Burundi – 47,000 (three camps & Bujumbura) Tanzania – 63,000 (Nyarugusu camp) In FY12, RSC Africa resettled Congolese applicants from 75 different locations in South, West, and East Africa 3 Refugees in the doorway of a house, Gihembe Refugee Camp, Rwanda

 Gender: Pretty even between males & females  Travel group size: Average 6, but families are extended  Minors: Over 50% of applicants  Young adults and minors: Over 70% of applicants  Education: 19% have completed secondary schooling  English: Nearly 50% of applicants have none; an additional 26% have some  Religion: More than 90% Christian (Seventh Day Adventists 26%; Pentecostals 23%; Catholics 14%; other Protestant Christian denominations 30%) Congolese Refugees: Who?

 Numerous ethnic groups  History of tension  Many languages: Kinyarwanda Kiswahili Others  Relationship between language and ethnic group Congolese Refugees: Who (and Who Else)?

Congolese Refugees: What do we hear? 6

Congolese Refugees: Cultural Orientation CO Offered: RSC Africa offers five-day six-hour CO sessions for Congolese in variety of locations Material tailored to Congolese: focus on group work, discussion, and videos Focus: general key messages of overseas orientation Supplemental activities and information on: - parenting and discipline in the U.S. - cultural adjustment - money management - employment - mental health Response: Group very active, engaged, attentive, and inquisitive 7

 PRM- and ORR-convened working group, which includes: −National Resettlement Agencies −State Refugee Coordinators −Refugee Health Coordinators −Refugee Council USA −National Technical Assistance Providers −UN High Commission for Refugees  Sub-groups −Preparing refugees for U.S. resettlement −Marshalling appropriate public & private resources −Preparing communities/stakeholders Congolese Refugees: Collaborations

 Refugees from the DRC backgrounder −Background of the refugee crisis −Ethnic composition of the caseload −Conditions in exile −Cultural and socio-economic characteristics −Information about CO −Resettlement experiences  Highlights −High incidence of trauma −Ethnic group and language considerations −Key role of religious communities as support networks −Youth of caseload −Issues within families Congolese Refugees: Materials

Congolese Refugees: Additional Materials COR Center web page on Congolese: within Learning About Refugees, Refugee Populations, Congolese Refugees COR Center CO highlight: within Providing Orientation & Training, Overseas CO, Overseas CO Programs, RSC Africa

Contact COR Center th St. NW Washington, DC