Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) FY 2017
THE FUNDING NEED
$750,000 for the Program on Migration within the Migration and Refugee Assistance account to ensure continued services to support family reunification efforts for human trafficking survivors in the United States throughout the year.
Summary of Program
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) seeks to resolve the plight of persecuted and uprooted people around the world. PRM has the responsibility of administering U.S. refugee assistance and admittance programs, as well as formulating policies on relevant issues. PRM assists in U.S. Government efforts to “assist the world’s most vulnerable migrants, such as victims of human trafficking.”
Need
Services for human trafficking survivors’ family members sponsored by this program are unique in that they provide on-the-ground assistance for human trafficking survivors’ families around the world and ensure that families can be reunited after years of separation. Overall IOM is receiving more requests for assistance from across the United States. Requests for assistance have steadily increased over five years. In 2011 IOM received only 139 requests; yet in 2014, IOM received 306 requests. This is a 120% increase in requests. Funding must keep pace with these requests; otherwise, IOM will face challenges meeting survivors’ families’ needs, such as in 2013 when IOM ran a wait list of over 149 family members, and trafficking victims were notified that there would be no support for family reunification. In addition, two victims wishing to voluntarily return to their countries of origin received return and reintegration assistance.
Solution
We request $750,000 for the Program on Migration, implemented through funding to the International Organization on Migration (IOM), within the Migration and Refugee Assistance account, to ensure continued services to support family reunification efforts for human trafficking survivors in the United States throughout the year.