Fort Wayne’s careful financial planning has put it in a position for growth and success, according to its chief executive.The federal government must do more to help communities like Fort Wayne that are home to thousands of refugee immigrants, according to a report released Wednesday by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.
The report, given to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cited Fort Wayne numerous times as an example of the challenges facing cities that receive large refugee populations. It said many refugees have no English knowledge, many are illiterate even in their native languages and many arrive with numerous health concerns – all of which put a financial burden on the new community.
“Staff found that resettlement efforts in some U.S. cities are underfunded, overstretched, and failing to meet the basic needs of the refugee populations they are currently asked to assist. Especially in a difficult economic climate, the current structure of the U.S. resettlement system is proving a strain on local resources and community relations,” Lugar wrote in the report.
For example, Lugar listed how local health officials in Allen County “stumbled upon” increased rates of hepatitis B among the Burmese refugee population. Treating the lifelong condition added further cost to the community, according to the report.
Mayor Tom Henry quickly issued a statement thanking Lugar for the report and pointing out the needs of communities serving as homes for new refugees.
While he lauded the efforts of many city organizations in addressing the needs of refugees, he said more support from the federal government is needed. Fort Wayne is now home to 6,000 Burmese refugees, and the majority lived in refugee camps for years before coming to the U.S., Henry said.
“Consequently, they were unprepared to gain self-sufficiency and employment in the 90 days of support provided under the refugee relocation program,” Henry said. “This wave of humanity threatened to overwhelm our health care and social service networks.”
Lugar’s report provided a lengthy case study of concerns in Fort Wayne, detailing health, criminal and educational problems created by an influx of refugees. The largest concern expressed by city officials is the city’s status as a desired destination for Burmese refugees who are placed elsewhere in the country.
The report said there is no way to track where refugees move within the country, so there is no way for federal resources to follow them.
Lugar said freeing refugees from persecution in other countries is one of the United States’ “noblest humanitarian traditions,” but the country must realize there is some cost to that service.
“In the future, the administration may determine that an increase in Federal funding or decrease in refugee admissions is warranted. But the practice of passing the costs of resettling refugees on to local communities should not continue,” Lugar wrote. “The administration and Congress must ensure that the refugee resettlement system is properly structured so that it continues to be perceived as a benefit and not a burden.”
In addition to releasing the report, Lugar asked the Government Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive review of the U.S. refugee resettlement system.
