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What's New
- On-line Registration for the 2008 Refugee Summit!
Registration for the 2008 Refugee Summit is now available on-line and early registration is by August 18,2008. Workshops and keynote speakers will provide participants with the latest in refugee resettlement strategies, training and resources. The Summit will be held on September 3-5, 2008, at the Manhattan Beach Marriott in Manhattan Beach, California. This year's theme is "Overcoming New Challenges: Finding Opportunities in Our Changing World". For more information, visit the Refugee Summit web page. If you have any questions, please contact KJ Evans at (916) 654-7250 or KJ.Evans@dss.ca.gov. - Special Immigrant Visas - Iraqi and Afghan Translators and Interpreters
On June 3, 2008, the President signed Public Law 110-242, which authorizes the processing and adjudication of additional applications for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Iraqi and Afghan translators and interpreters during Federal Fiscal Year 2008. Iraqis and Afghans with SIVs are eligible for refugee resettlement benefits and services to the same extent as refugees - Afghans for six-months and Iraqis for eight-months from the date of entry in the United States. For more details on this special population, visit the U.S. Department of State and federal Office of Refugee Resettlement web sites. Also see information on SIVs for Iraqis – Employed by/on behalf of U.S. Government. - New Iraqi Refugee Arrivals Training:
The National Partnership for Community Training (NPCT), a technical assistance program of Gulf Coast Jewish Community Service, in collaboration with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is developing a track specific to the new Iraqi arrivals being resettled in the United States. The NPCT’s training and technical assistance is aimed at helping mainstream providers working with refugee and immigrant populations where no torture treatment center exists, to better identify and serve Iraqis who may have experienced torture or trauma. The NPCT will deliver 8 trainings in fiscal year 2007-2008 - see information sheet. Also, visit ORR's web site for information and links to Iraqi resources as well as a web page with questions and answers on Iraqi refugee resettlement.
NOTE: Some links above are to documents in Adobe Acrobat portable document format (pdf) that can only be viewed and printed using the free Adobe Reader.