Nearly 800 Refugees Resettled in Georgia through the IRC

The IRC in Atlanta resettled 776 refugees during the 2012 fiscal year, which ended on September 30. Despite decreased funding and increased need, the IRC was able to meet its service goals for 2012. The majority of clients resettled were from Burma, Bhutan and Iraq.

Furthermore, since its establishment in 1979, the IRC in Atlanta has resettled more than 20,000 from over 50 countries, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Iran, Liberia, Palestine, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan.

Rufina Tregulova and her son, Teymurlang, settle into their new home
Photo by: the IRC in Atlanta

Resettling refugees within American society can present many challenges involving social adjustment, cultural orientation, employment and specialized medical needs.  Additionally, more than half of the clients who were resettled in 2012 were single individuals not part of a family unit, which increases the need for support and social adjustment, and also increases expenses. The IRC in Atlanta works with all refugee clients to ensure they have smooth transitions into their new communities and have the tools and knowledge they need to be successful.    

Annually, the President of the U.S. allocates the number of refugees who can be resettled in the country. This number will decrease to 70,000 allocations for 2013, which is a 6,000 drop from the previous year. However the actual number of refugees resettled in the U.S. in 2013 should increase over the 58,238 that arrived in 2012.

The new fiscal year will also allow the IRC in Atlanta to continue improving and expanding its programs and services. The Resettlement Department plans to better tailor education and vocational training for refugees to local jobs that are available. With the help of United Way, subsidy programs have helped to better fund and facilitate resettlement initiatives, and micro-enterprise programs are encouraging the development of local refugee-owned businesses. Moreover, women’s health and elderly care are two areas of focus for the IRC office moving forward.

For more information about the resettlement services of the IRC in Atlanta, please contact Elhamija Kadic, Resettlement Services Manager, at Elhamija.kadic@rescue.org or call 678-636-8903.