Asylees are eligible for various benefits funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), including everything from health insurance to English classes. Few asylees, however, access these benefits. After securing legal protection through a complex, arduous process, asylees too often don’t receive the valuable supports to which they are entitled.
In 2018, the Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees awarded HIAS a grant to address this issue. The grant funds the Maryland Asylee Outreach Project (AOP), an initiative to help asylees in the state access the benefits to which they are entitled. Maryland’s providers of refugee services include offices of the Ethiopian Community Development Council, the International Rescue Committee, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, as well as the state’s many local Department of Social Services offices.
Since then, the Asylee Outreach Project has grown to include national work, advocating for access to post-asylum grant information nationwide through outreach and its Asylee Benefits Orientations held nationwide.
Our providers:
About HIAS:
HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and freedom. Guided by our Jewish values and history, we bring more than 138 years of expertise to our work with refugees.
This site was last updated on 10/25/21.