Here & Now

Lutheran Refugee Program Director On Wisconsin's Role

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HERE AT HOME, NINE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WORK WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATES OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT INCLUDING THE LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES WITH ITS STATE BRANCH LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF WISCONSIN. MARY FLYNN DIRECTS ITS REFUGEE PROGRAM. SHE JOINS US FROM MILWAUKEE. MARY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

MARY FLYNN:

THANK YOU.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WELL, SO, ARE THERE SYRIAN REFUGEES ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE THROUGH LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES TO COME TO WISCONSIN?

MARY FLYNN:

NOT CURRENTLY FOR LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES. THE PIPELINE IS REALLY A SITUATION IN WHICH REFUGEES HAVE COMPLETED THEIR REFUGEE INTERVIEW PROCESS. THEY’VE BEEN MADE ELIGIBLE FOR REFUGEE STATUS. THEY’VE THEN BEEN PUT ON A LIST FOR THE UNITED STATES AND THEIR SECURITY CHECKS ARE BEING CONDUCTED. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE PIPELINE. THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO TAKE THEM AND NOW IT’S A MATTER OF COMPLETING ALL THOSE BACKGROUND CHECKS AND SCHEDULING TRAVEL. THAT CAN BE ABOUT A ONE TO THREE YEAR PROCESS. SO, WITH THE FAIRLY RECENT SYRIAN CRISIS AS COMPARED TO OTHER REFUGEE COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE RESETTLING, THE SYRIANS WON’T BE COMING IN ANY GREAT NUMBERS QUITE YET. IN 2016 WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE POSSIBLY SOME COME THROUGH OUR AGENCY AS WELL AS OTHERS. AND MORE SO IN 2017 AND BEYOND.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW WILL GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER’S PLEDGE THAT OUR STATE WILL NOT FACILITATE THE COORDINATION OR PROVISION OF BENEFITS OR SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO COULD POSE A THREAT AFFECT THE WORK THAT YOUR AGENCY DOES?

MARY FLYNN:

AT LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE CHARGED WITH IS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE SET FORTH BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. THEY HAVE A BUREAU CALLED POPULATION REFUGEE AND MIGRATION. AND AS AN AFFILIATE OF LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THOSE ACTIVITIES OF RESETTLEMENT UPON ARRIVAL. SO, THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO STAY FOCUSED ON. THE ARRIVAL AND COMPLETING THOSE ACTIVITIES AS REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND YET, IS THERE ANY KIND OF PASS THROUGH OF MONEY FROM THE STATE TO HELP WITH THAT WORK BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR IS SAYING THAT THE STATE WILL NOT FACILITATE THE PROVISION OF BENEFITS OR SERVICES?

MARY FLYNN:

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE STATE OF WISCONSIN DOES RECEIVE FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON BEHALF OF REFUGEES. AT THIS TIME WE CONTINUE TO BE A VERY WARM AND WELCOMING STATE. I TOTALLY EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE. AND I GUESS WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT CASE BY CASE AND SEE HOW THIS UNFOLDS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW, HAS YOUR ORGANIZATION REACHED OUT TO THE GOVERNOR, HIS STAFF, OR OUR DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE?

MARY FLYNN:

ONCE AGAIN, FOR ME AS DIRECTOR OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT FOR LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES, I HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO STAY REALLY FOCUSED ON OUR RESETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES. AND THAT’S REALLY WHERE MOST OF MY ATTENTION IS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT SERVICES DOES YOUR AGENCY OFFER TO REFUGEES?

MARY FLYNN:

THERE IS A LIST THAT’S SET FORTH BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S PRM DEPARTMENT. IT STARTS WITH GREETING THEM AT THE AIRPORT. ASSURING THAT THEY HAVE PERMANENT, SAFE, AFFORDABLE AND ADEQUATE HOUSING. ENROLLING THE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL. AND THIS WAS REALLY A SURPRISE TO ME. WHEN I FIRST STARTED MY JOB ONE OF THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITIES OF RESETTLEMENT IS SELF-SUFFICIENCY. SO IT’S OUR JOB TO HELP PEOPLE GOT A JOB. BUT IT’S ALSO THE REFUGEE’S RESPONSIBILITY TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT. AND MANY OF THEM IN FACT ALL OF THEM COME TO THE UNITED STATES KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. WHERE IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY THEY MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OR THEY HAD GOOD LIVES BUT WAR AND VIOLENCE INTERRUPTED THAT. SO, THAT WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE GET A HEALTH EXAM FROM A DOCTOR TO MAKE SURE THEY START THEIR NEW LIVES IN A HEALTHY WAY. PEOPLE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TRAVEL SICK. SO WHEN PEOPLE DO ARRIVE THEY’VE ALREADY RECEIVED A VERY COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL EXAM BEFORE THEY COME. BUT IT’S KIND OF LIKE THE THINGS THAT WE ALL DO AS WELL. WE GET UP IN THE MORNING. WE WANT TO HAVE JOBS. WE WANT TO HAVE MEANINGFUL LIVES. AND WE WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY AND THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY THAT WE ALL LIVE IN.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ARE THE POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE RESETTLED AS REFUGEES IN WISCONSIN?

MARY FLYNN:

I HAVE BEEN WITH REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AT LSS SINCE DECEMBER OF 2009 AND EVEN IN THOSE SIX YEARS WE SEEN A CHANGE IN THE TRENDS. BUT FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS THE TRENDS I HAVE BEEN SEEING ARE SOMALI AND SOMALI BANTU, IRAQIS, SEVERAL ETHNICITIES OF BURMESE INCLUDING CHIN, KAREN, KARENNI, ROHINGYA, MON, SHAN. IT’S VERY DIVERSE. WE’VE SEEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. ALSO ERITREA, ETHIOPIA AND BHUTAN. PEOPLE THAT WERE IN NEPAL AND CAN NO LONGER STAY OF BHUTANESE ETHNICITY AND NOW THEY HAVE TO LEAVE. AND WE’RE ALSO RECEIVING THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU PERSONALLY WHEN YOU RESETTLE REFUGEES HERE IN WISCONSIN?

MARY FLYNN:

THAT WAS ONE OF GREATEST GIFTS THIS JOB HAS GIVEN ME. WHEN I STEPPED INTO REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT I REALLY WAS LEARNING EVERY DAY. AND I STILL CONTINUE TO LEARN EVERY DAY. BUT WHEN YOU SEE A REFUGEE GET OFF THE PLANE AT AN AIRPORT, THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT’S ON THE OTHER END OF THAT RUNWAY. THEY DON’T KNOW WHO’S GOING TO BE GREETING THEM FOR THE MOST PART. AND WHEN YOU SEE THE LOOK IN THEIR EYES AND THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES THAT THEY HAVE TRULY REACHED THE UNITED STATES. AND THEY REALLY HOLD DEAR THAT CONCEPT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM. AND I’M ALWAYS IN AWE OF IT. I’M ALWAYS HUMBLED BY IT. AND IT IS TRULY ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE GIFTS I’VE RECEIVED IN MY CAREER.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

MARY FLYNN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MARY FLYNN:

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.