Iraqi Refugees in the United States: Self-Sufficiency and Responsibilization in the Vicious Cycle of Integration

Abstract

In the literature on forced migration, little is known about the experiences of Iraqi refugees resettled in the United States through the US Refugee Admissions, Reception and Placement Program. As part of its longstanding refugee resettlement policy, the United States has accepted and provided safe haven to thousands of refugees. Focusing primarily on the situation of Iraqis resettled in Arizona since the 1990s, this research uses interview findings and first-hand data to examine various aspects of their post-resettlement experiences through a meta-theoretical approach that includes aspects of humanitarian governance, adaptation, acculturation and integration. Building on this theoretical understanding, this book examines the process from the first moment of resettlement to integration as a multi-layered social reality and reveals the fundamental impact of forced migration on the ‘politics of refugee life’. By examining the US resettlement program in relation to the role and functions of resettlement agencies and non-profit organizations in collaboration with the government, this book highlights the fundamental difference between refugee integration and migrant integration, introduces new concepts of integration, discusses the US refugee admissions, reception and placement program and refugee integration in relation to the organization of humanitarian governance globally, and offers recommendations for improving resettlement and integration processes. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.