We help refugees from the moment of their arrival through their journey to citizenship with proven pathways to self-sufficiency and success.
We help ensure that new Americans contribute their special skills and talents to strengthen the American workforce and help Georgia thrive.
What’s New
2016 Ballot Measures – Just the Basics
In order to help those we serve, and those who serve along side us, be better informed and engaged about all aspects of the November 2016 election, our civic engagement team, with support from our English as a Second Language coordinator, have put together a simple, non-partisan guide to the ballot measures that will be on the November ballot.
Ballot Measures: also called amendments, are possible laws that citizens can choose to make into real laws or not. They are usually ...
Read more >Updated: How can YOU Help Syrian Refugees In Georgia?
Over the past year, many supporters have come forward to ask how they can help support new arrivals who have been affected by the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Here is an updated version of a post we originally created in the fall of 2015 to better explain how you can help where you live.
Q: How is the number of refugees coming into the United States determined?
A: The president sets an annual determination at the beginning of each fiscal year for how many ...
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Welcome to our “thought leadership” corner, a sharing space for ideas and thoughts that are on our mind today. We hope you will find these resources and stories to be both educational and inspiring. MORE >
CubaNearly 1 million Cuban exiles live in the United States due to ongoing political persecution in Cuba. Cuban refugees are served under the Cuban Haitian Program of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
SudanIn 2013, prolonged civil war and interethnic violence resulted in 600,000 Sudanese refugees living in the surrounding countries.
Central African
RepublicThe Central African Republic has suffered decades of internal conflict, with heightened instability in 2013. The global number of Central African refugees is approximately 220,000. CongoApproximately 450,000 refugees remain in neighboring countries, due to ongoing armed conflict in eastern DRC. SomaliaMore than 3,000 refugees from the war-torn nation of Somalia have entered Atlanta since 2004. The Somali community in Atlanta has bridged ethnic divisions and established a unified Somali-American Association that is helping families engage the American school system and promote college access for Somali youth, among other services. EritreaEritrean refugees have fled decades of instability and human rights violations. The majority of Eritrean refugees, including unaccompanied minors, move through camps in Ethiopia before resettlement. IraqMany Iraqi nationals have fled Iraq due to war or persecution. Over 2,000 Iraqi refugees have been resettled in Georgia since 2005. Many Iraqi refugees worked with the US Government during the Iraq War. IranOver 700 Iranian refugees have arrived in Georgia since 2004. Burma/MyanmarEthnic conflict in Burma began shortly after the country’s independence in 1948. Due to internal conflict, approximately 160,000 Burmese refugees live in Thailand, while many more Burmese live in other countries in the region. BhutanIn the early 1990s the Bhutanese government expelled ethnic Nepalis from the southern part of the country. Most have been living in refugee camps in eastern Nepal ever since. Many Bhutanese community groups now exist in Atlanta. SyriaSince 2011, the conflict in Syria has displaced nearly 9.5 million people, more than 40% of the country’s pre-war population. Of these, over 3 million have found temporary asylum in the neighboring countries of Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Just over 1,500 Syrians have been resettled in the U.S., with fewer than 50 of those in Georgia. Syrian arrivals are expected to rise in 2016. Afghanistan Afghanistan is one of the top countries of origin for refugees, with over 2.6 million refugees in 2014, only 50,000 of whom were resettled worldwide. Fewer than 500 Afghan refugees have come to Georgia over the past 10 years. Many Afghan refugees also served with the U.S. Armed Forces during recent conflicts in the Middle East.
Georgia has one of the most successful refugee resettlement and support programs in the country.
Annually, up to about 70,000 refugees (less than 1% of the world’s refugee population) are resettled in the United States through a U.S. humanitarian program. Refugees enter the U.S. legally and are on track to become U.S. citizens after 5 years. In 2013, RRISA welcomed 468 of the refugees resettled in metro Atlanta. Our refugees and asylees represent 16 countries. Currently, most of our clients are coming from Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Iraq, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Congo.
In partnership with 
