Robert Carey: Refugees and the Federal Government

In testimony before the Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, Bob Carey said, “Despite experiencing unimaginable hardships, violence, and oppression, refugees arrive in this country seeking opportunities, rather than handouts, to re-establish their self-sufficiency and to become productive, integrated members of their communities. HHS’ programs assist refugees and other vulnerable populations in doing just that.” Robert Carey will provide an overview of the United States Refugee Resettlement Program (USRP). His talk will include a description of the screening and admissions processes for refugees, the legal framework under which the program operates and the services provided to refugees who are admitted to the United States under the Refugee Act of 1980. Bob was until recently the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the US Department of Health and Human Services. In this role he was responsible for the office charged with the provision of a range of resettlement and support services to refugees, asylum-seekers, victims of torture and unaccompanied children through state governments and non-profit organizations across the US. Prior to his service in the Obama Administration at ORR, Bob served as Vice-President, Resettlement and Migration Policy at the International Rescue Committee. In this capacity Bob led IRC’s efforts in supporting systematic change in domestic and international refugee resettlement, refugee protection, immigration policy, and human trafficking. He worked to improve both the way refugees are resettled and supported in the U.S., and the mechanisms through which the UN, the United States and the international community identifies and addresses the needs of those requiring protection and resettlement.