Welcome
State of Utah Refugee Office
On behalf of the Utah Refugee Services Office, welcome to our Web site. We hope you will browse this site and in the process gain an understanding of refugees and the services available to them. We intend the site to expand and improve with your input, so please let us know what you think. The Web site is meant to be useful to refugees, service providers, public and private partners, and the community at large. It should assist us in sharing information, coordinating services, and becoming closer as a community.
KUER (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Listen to Interviews with Refugee Youth
Refugee Youth Face Challenges At School
October 12, 2009
At Home with Girard Nabonimana
October 12, 2009
Muhammed's Challenge - October 18, 2009
Against All Odds - October 19, 2009
Utah Refugee Conference
November 6-7, 2009
Programs
African United Soccer Club
November 7, 2009
Refugee Capacity Building Grants are announced
October 5, 2009
Refugee Women Turn Art Into Profit Through New County Program
September 24, 2009
Source: South Salt Lake Journal
Integration is Happening
Saving the World's Women
August 23, 2009
Source: The New York Times
A Letter from Paul Stein, President
August 26, 2009
Source: SCORR (State Coordinators of Refugee Resettlement)
Invisible Immigrants, Old and Left with
'Nobody to Talk To'
August 31, 2009
Source: The New York Times
Counselors Help Refugees
Adjust to New Utah Home
August 27, 2009
Source: Salt Lake Tribune
Iraqi Immigrants Struggle to Adjust
to Life in the U.S
August 13, 2009
Source: New York Times
GAO - Report to the Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Children and Families, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S. Senate
July 2009 English Language Learning
Diverse Federal and State Efforts to Support Adult English Language Learning Could Benefit from More Coordination
Refugees Participate in Days of '47 Parade
World Refugee Day
June 20, 2009
More Pictures from World Refugee Day
The Karen sell their handmade items at the Pioneer Craft House located at 3300 South 500 East on Tuesdays beginning at 5:00 p.m. Items for sale include woven scarves, shoulder bags, eye glass holders, tunics, etc.
Traditional Weaving Ties Utah Refugees
To Their Culture
July 26, 2009
Source: Salt Lake Tribune
Refugees Learn the Ropes
Through Mediation Program
July 7, 2009
Source: Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Soldiers Reach Out
to Iraqi Refugees
KSL - July 1, 2009
Deseret News - July 1, 2009
Salt Lake Tribune - July 2, 2009
Refugees and Asylees: 2008
Annual Flow Report
U.S. Department of Justice - Community Relations Service
The Community Relations Service (CRS), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, is the Federal government's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin.
View Archived Press Releases
Refugee's Plea (this letter was received by the Utah Office of Ethnic Affairs)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a 21 year old Burundian
refugee living in Malawi since 2000. My parents were
refugees in Rwanda since 1972 when they fled their home
country, Burundi, where Hutus massacre by Tutsis were
taking place. Both my parents are Hutus, one of the ethnic groups in Burundi .Hutus were persecuted
and segregated by Tutsis (a minority ethnic group that held
all powers since the independence of Burundi) who carried
out genocide-like crimes against Hutus.
I was born in Rwanda in 1987
in Ririma Refugee Camp. Seven years later (in 1994), we had
to flee the asylum country ( Rwanda ) because of the war which was taking place there. We thereafter found refuge in
Democratic Republic of Congo (ex-Zaire). We could not go to
Burundi because there was a civil war also. After two years
(in 1996), the civil war which is today known as “First
Kabila war” forced us to flee the Congo . Due to severe
intensity of the war, I got separated with my family and couldn’t
find them any more. I was then only 9 years old. I followed
other people and we proceeded to Angola.
In Angola , the UNHCR
harboured us in Luwawu Refugee Camp. Here we didn’t stay
for long time because of the war between Government and the
UNITA rebellion led by Jonas Savimbi.
We had to flee the country and we reached Zambia in 1998 where we found refuge. Here we were given asylum and went to live in Maheba Refugee camp. Till
that time, I didn’t have any contact with my family
members as I didn’t know whether they were still alive or
not.
Two years later (in 2000), that is when I got a
surprising and emotional news about my Dad and his
whereabouts. I was so excited that I had
uncontrollably and immediately to leave Zambia towards
Malawi. As exactly the news was given to me, I found my dad
in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, in Malawi. Since then, I
live with him in the same Refugee Camp till today.
Here in Malawi , a refugee
has no life and is bound to live in the camp for the rest of
his/her life if he/she chooses to stay in the country. This is enforced by dehumanizing laws of the country towards
refugees.
Among other dehumanizing
laws, a refugee cannot neither study nor work nor do any
business. He is bound to live in the Camp where he/she
relies on food aid that is provided on monthly basis. They don’t care whether a person has got other
needs/rights apart from food such clothing, education, etc.
Even the food itself provided doesn’t meet the basics in
terms of quality and quantity!
Socially, we are rejected
and some politicians of the country encourage the local
population to raise against our presence in the
country.
In summary there is no
future for refugees in this country.
My situation is very
pathetic! Look, since I was born, I never got a country
that I call home country. I never got a chance to have a country where I can live like other human beings.
I was born in a
refugee camp 21 years ago and never saw my parents' home country. I
don’t have a home country! I am a Burundian by nationality
just because I was born of Burundian parents. Since I was born, I have been moving from country to
country not because I am a tourist but because I was on the
run. There is no offence I committed that made me to be
running but just because I was fleeing wars and persecutions
but also was trying to find a land that can accommodate me.
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing
to you in a search of someone or Organisation that would
help me get a country that can grant me a chance to live in
its land, where I can live peacefully and be treated like any other human being.
As I don't have a home country, all I want is a country that will
allow me to settle there and live peacefully for the rest of my life.
Dear Sir/Madam, hoping that
my request will meet your compassion and favorable
understanding, I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Accept my anticipated thanks
for your time taken and may God bless you.
Yours sincerely,
Refugee
Dzaleka Refugee Camp
Get Involved
Want to get involved? Become a Certified Volunteer. The Utah Refugee Services Office has an online volunteer training program. For more information contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Wylie at awylie@utah.gov.
Make a Donation
Make Checks Payable to:
Refugee Services Fund
Attn: Gerald Brown
140 East 300 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Your Donation is Tax Deductible
Upcoming Events
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6-7, 2009 | Refugee Conference | Salt Palace Salt Lake City, Utah |
Refugee Services Office Resource Manual
Find the latest contact information for refugee partners and providers
Refugee Services Office Resource Manual
On August 4, 2008, the Department of Workforce Services implemented the “Working 4 Utah” initiative. As a result, our standard business hours are now Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Equal Opportunity
Questions or comments about this site should be directed to:
Gerald Brown at geraldbrown@utah.gov or
Mary Gehman at marygehman@utah.gov