Reception and Placement Program
Refugees selected for resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program are eligible for Reception and Placement (R&P) assistance upon arrival in the United States. Each refugee approved for admission is sponsored by one of ten resettlement agencies participating in the Reception and Placement Program under a cooperative agreement with the Department of State.
Canopy, as a local affiliate of Global Refuge (formerly known as LIRS), implements the Reception and Placement Program in Northwest Arkansas. Canopy aims to sponsor cases that offer the best opportunities for success through employment and community support. The availability and affordability of housing are key factors impacting a community’s capacity to resettle individuals.
Canopy NWA is responsible for providing initial services for up to 90 days after arrival. The Department of State’s standard cooperative agreement with each resettlement agency specifies the services they must provide. A limited one-time per capita amount is available for Canopy to use on behalf of refugees to meet their critical direct assistance needs, such as rent, food, clothing, and furnishings.
Upon arrival in the United States, refugees are met by Canopy staff and volunteers, taken to their initial housing, and provided with essential furnishings, appropriate food, and other necessities. Canopy assists refugees during their initial resettlement, including enrolling in employment services, registering youth for school, accessing medical care, applying for benefits, and connecting with necessary social or language services. Canopy focuses on helping refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency through employment as soon as possible after their arrival.
Circle of Welcome volunteers play a critical role in this journey for refugees as they resettle in their new homes in Northwest Arkansas.
The Reception and Placement Program is limited to the first three months after arrival.
Match Grant Program
Eligible refugees may enroll in the Match Grant program, which extends support for up to 240 days. This program helps refugees and other ORR-eligible populations overcome barriers and quickly find jobs, aiming for economic self-sufficiency within 240 days without accessing cash assistance programs. The program is a public/private partnership enabling communities to directly support refugees through donations, volunteer support, and mentorship. Participants must meet certain employment requirements and enroll within 31 days after their date of arrival or eligibility. The program provides case management, employment skills training, job referrals, family budget planning, and assistance with housing, utilities, food, transportation, health, medical, English language training, and social adjustment.
Many households are also eligible for the Matching Grant Program, which extends these services for up to 240 days. At the end of this resettlement period, our goal is that all families will be financially self-sufficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are men, women and children fleeing war, persecution and political upheaval. They are uprooted with little warning, enduring great hardship during their flight. They become refugees when they cross borders and seek safety in another country. They are displaced when they are forced to flee their homes, but remain within the borders of their native country.
The 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as amended by its 1967 protocol defines a refugee as a person who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…”
The United States will not recognize persons who have participated in war crimes and violations of humanitarian and human rights law, including the crime of terrorism, as refugees. They are specifically excluded from the protection accorded to refugees.
Refugees are forced to flee their homes and seek safety in another country, often times without warning. Migrants are people who make a conscious decision to leave their countries to seek a better life elsewhere.
Who is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning. They are unable to return home unless and until conditions in their native lands are safe for them again.
An official entity such as a government or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) determines whether a person seeking international protection meets the definition of a refugee, based on well-founded fear.
Those who obtain refugee status are given protections under international laws and conventions and lifesaving support from aid agencies. Refugees in the U.S. also have the opportunity to become lawful permanent residents and eventually citizens.
Who is an asylum seeker?
An asylum seeker is someone who is also seeking international protection from dangers in his or her home country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn’t been determined legally. Asylum seekers must apply for protection in the country of destination—meaning they must arrive at or cross a border in order to apply.
Then, they must be able to prove to authorities there that they meet the criteria to be covered by refugee protections. Not every asylum seeker will be recognized as a refugee.
Tens of thousands of children and families from Central America have fled extreme danger—murder, kidnapping, violence against women and forced recruitment by gangs. Those arriving at the U.S. border are being depicted as “illegal immigrants,” but in reality, crossing an international border for asylum is not illegal and an asylum seeker’s case must be heard, according to U.S. and international law.
Who is an immigrant?
An immigrant is someone who makes a conscious decision to leave his or her home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there. Immigrants often go through a lengthy vetting process to immigrate to a new country. Many become lawful permanent residents and eventually citizens.
Immigrants research their destinations, explore employment opportunities, and study the language of the country where they plan to live. Most importantly, they are free to return home whenever they choose.
The United States accepts a limited number of refugees each year. The President in consultation with Congress determines the authorized target for refugee admissions through a Presidential Determination.
The United States is 1 of the 29 resettlement countries. Less than 1% of refugees are considered for resettlement worldwide.
The same way we all do…they find jobs! Refugees have been helpful to our economy in recent years because they have taken jobs in industries that have had employee shortages.
Refugees and Immigrants contribute to their new communities in countless ways.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) study finds nearly a $124 billion positive fiscal impact of Refugees and Asylees on the American economy in a 15-year period.