Seattle, WA

Refugees are people fleeing violence and persecution—in Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, and other countries in crisis. They are seeking safety and the chance to move their lives forward.

The United States has a long tradition of sheltering those fleeing conflict and persecution. Once refugees have been identified by the United Nations refugee agency and cleared for resettlement, the U.S. government works with the IRC and eight other national resettlement agencies to help them restart their lives in America. Out of the nearly 20 million refugees in the world, fewer than 1 percent are considered for resettlement worldwide.

Refugees may be placed in a city where they have relatives or friends, or where there’s an established community that shares their language or culture. Other considerations include the cost of living and a community’s ability to provide medical services. However, as legal U.S. residents, refugees may live in any city and state they choose.

Learn more about how refugee resettlement works.

Our programs are designed to ensure refugees thrive in America—whether ensuring children are enrolled in school, adults become self-reliant through employment or starting businesses, or families receive acute medical care they need to recover from trauma or illness. The IRC helps those in need to rebuild their lives and regain control of their future in their new home community.

Refugees are greeted and welcomed at the airport by IRC case workers and volunteers to ensure their transition is as comfortable as possible. The IRC also makes sure newly arrived refugees receive:

• A furnished home
• Help with rent
• Health care
• Nutritious, affordable food
• English language classes
• Help building job, computer, and financial literacy skills
• Education for their children
• Social services and community support
• Legal services towards residency and citizenship

Our programs in Seattle

• Resettlement: Meeting the basic needs for food, shelter and legal rights in the early, critical stages of resettlement.
• Economic Empowerment: Protecting, supporting and improving household livelihoods and financial security.
• Community Integration and Development: Strengthening communities and preparing individuals to participate fully in American society.
• Health and Wellness: Promoting wellness and ensuring access to healthcare services that address physical and psychological needs.
• Salamati Rohi: Mental health and psychosocial support program that promotes the wellness of Afghans who are experiencing the stress and challenges of resettlement including the associated trauma, grief, and loss of having fled their home. You can learn more here. 
• Protection: Promoting durable solutions and ensuring life-saving protection of vulnerable populations.
• Children, Youth and Education: Providing educational and developmental opportunities that build the essential academic, personal and social skills needed to succeed.
• New Roots: Focus on food access and nutritional needs of families upon arrival in the U.S., and builds on the agricultural experience of many new refugee and immigrant families by providing access to land, materials, and education for program participants to grow healthy food.

The IRC provides Immigration and Citizenship Services to the wider community, giving both refugees but also other immigrants assistance in a range of routine immigration matters, such as applying for “green cards”, employment authorization and citizenship.

The IRC’s New Roots program is available to all qualifying immigrants in Seattle, enabling them to celebrate their heritage and nourish themselves and their neighbors by planting strong roots—literally—in their new communities.

There are many ways that you can get involved with the IRC’s work in Seattle. You can:

Donate  Make a one-time or monthly tax-deductible gift via our website. Or, launch your own fundraiser via Crowdrise or Facebook. Your contributions directly support local IRC programs, helping refugees, immigrants, and survivors or trafficking who are rebuilding their lives our community. 

Participate  Join IRC at community events throughout the year, such as Winter Welcome Festival, World Refugee Day - ARTvocacy, and the Rebuilding Lives Annual Dinner. Events raise critical resources to support newcomers and visibly reassure refugee families that Washington welcomes them. Join us for Rebuilding Lives Annual Dinner on Oct 4th.

Advocate  Call on policy makers to support refugees, immigrants, and survivors of trafficking. Please email, call, or write your elected officials with a message of support today!

Spread the Word  Stay connected via our newsletter and Facebook, and ask others to do the same! #RefugeesWelcome 

Educate  With knowledge of refugee issues, you can help dispel misunderstanding about refugees within your own community by engaging in conversation and posting on social media or anywhere you see an opportunity to give accurate information. Resources to get you started include: IRC’s Refugees in AmericaRefugee Council USAUNHCR Global Trends Report

Assemble a Donation Drive  Team up with friends, family, or colleagues to collect essential items - household goods, kitchenware, school supplies, job readiness kits, or gift cards - for newly-arrived families. View current donation needs and guidelines, or email us with questions.

Volunteer  Volunteers and interns are integral to the IRC's work in Seattle. Visit our volunteer page to learn about the different ways to get involved. Email us to join our "on-call" volunteer team or attend a Volunteer Orientation to join as a long-term volunteer or intern. 

Employ Newcomers  The IRC’s economic empowerment program helps newcomers prepare for Seattle’s job market and work toward their career goals in the U.S. Contact the IRC if interested in offering employment or professional development opportunities to newcomers.

Open Your Home   The IRC and Airbnb are working together to welcome refugees to the Seattle area -- and we would love for you to join us! Open Homes lets you share your extra space on a temporary basis with refugee families and survivors of trafficking as they transition into their new home and community. 

Connect IRC to Affordable Housing  Housing stability is critical to the health and wellness of all families. We greatly appreciate information on, or connections to, long-term affordable housing options for IRC clients.

Once they acclimate to their new environment, refugees often thrive and contribute to their communities, building careers, purchasing homes, gaining citizenship.