Refugee Assistance Program

Working with Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, and the Refugee Dream Center, the two official resettlement agencies in the state, the Refugee Resettlement program helps refugees and their families obtain employment, economic self-sufficiency and social integration within the shortest possible time after their arrival in Rhode Island.

A page of a dictionary focused on the word "refugee."

These services include resettlement and placement, cultural transition, language education, job development, and social services.

Immigration and National Act

The federal Immigration and Nationality Act defines a "refugee" as a "person who is outside their home country and who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion."

"Refugee" is a very specific immigration status. People who have had to flee their homes because of violence and persecution are given "refugee" status by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and are invited to the United States by the U.S. Department of State after living, sometimes for several years, in refugee camps around the world.

Screening process can take from 18 months to several years. Besides extensive medical screenings and treatment, all refugees are subject to the highest level of security checks of any category of traveler to the United States, involving the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI including its Terrorist Screening Center, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Department of Defense.

Other eligible populations served by the Refugee Resettlement Program include:

In order to access refugee resettlement program benefits, individuals must provide acceptable documentation of one of the statuses eligible for Office of Refugee Resettlement benefits and services.

Refugees in Rhode Island

Refugees come to Rhode Island from various countries, evenly divided among men and women, ranging in ages from infants to 80. In recent years, the number of refugees entering Rhode Island has fluctuated.

Learn more about the DHS benefits that refugees are eligible for and other resources by clicking on the links below.

Refugee DHS Benefits

Refugee Resources

State Refugee Coordinator:

Baha Sadr
Phone: 401-462-2073
Email: baha.sadr@dhs.ri.gov