How are refugees selected to come to the United States?
Refugees approved for resettlement in the United States have undergone a rigorous vetting process overseas. They have been interviewed several times before being granted refugee status by agency personnel of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). After applying for admission to the United States, they are interviewed again by Department of Homeland Security personnel, fingerprinted, and subjected to several background checks regarding former political or criminal activity. The US vetting process of refugees is the most rigorous screening process in the world, involving the databases of the CIA, FBI, Defense Department, and other nations' intelligence agencies. It often takes two years to complete. Once a refugee has been approved, a medical exam is conducted both to make sure they carry no communicable diseases, and to determine what level of healthcare needs they will have in the US. Once approved for travel, refugees take out travel loans through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to cover their airfare to come to the US.
The US government plans to invite 85,000 refugees from all over the world to come to the US in 2016.
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