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September 29, 2007 - Clarion Herald
Catholic Charities' refugee office busier than ever
By Christine Bordelon
It’s a modest office by any measure, yet the Office of Immigration and Refugee Services Catholic Charities Archdiocese New Orleans is more than just four walls and furniture. It’s a place of hopes, dreams and new beginnings for refugees arriving in the United States.
No one knows this better than refugee services coordinator Alfredo Narvaez, who came to this country in 1988 seeking political asylum from Nicaragua. (He had worked for the Nicaraguan government and fled his country after the Sandinista Revolution.)
With a degree in educational psychology from the Hispanic Federation of Religious Education in Spain and years of social services experience, Narvaez arrived with his family and few belongings. He turned to Catholic Charities’ refugee program for legal assistance to obtain documents necessary to become a citizen. He had a work permit to remain in the United States but wasn’t granted asylum until 1993 and became a U.S. citizen in 2000.
Today, he helps others start a new life.
“It was hard,” Narvaez said about starting over in the U.S., “but that’s the good part. I know how it feels and what they have to face initially, especially if they come with families.”
Catholic bishops approve
Narvaez’s office follows the national Refugee Resettlement Program guidelines established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Local program services for new arrivals include employment referrals (through the Hispanic Apostolate Job Services program under the Catholic Charities’ umbrella), health screenings, small stipends for necessities and a myriad of social and pastoral services. If a family resettles in New Orleans, the refugee program can also recommend schools.
Clients from all over
Most people seeking refuge are from Cuba and the Central American countries of Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, Narvaez said, but those from Chad, Burma, Armenia, Liberia and Iraq are growing in numbers. Narvaez said he works with the consulate offices of each country to help new arrivals obtain documentation.
“The goal of the program is to help people become self-sufficient in a matter of time,” Narvaez said.
The program has gained a positive reputation among all Hispanic refugees because Catholic Charities in dioceses throughout the U.S. collaborate and refer clients traveling from one state to another. “All new arrivals know about Catholic Charities to start their process (in this country), even the Cubans,” Narvaez said. “La Catolica – that’s what they call it. They always come to us to get orientation and advice.”
Narvaez has seen the need for refugee services grow since he was hired in 2006. He began working with 12 people and now works with 48 clients – 13 are refugees (those authorized by the U.S. to enter the country due to religious or political persecution), four are asylees (those seeking asylum but already authorized to enter) and 31 are parolees (mostly Cubans who enter with a condition to appear in court before a judge to determine legal alien status). Fourteen new arrivals from Burma, Cuba and Iraq are expected soon.
“It’s the busiest this office has been since Katrina,” Narvaez said. “The big issue we have right now is the Cuban wave. We’ve always had Cubans coming here (to the U.S.) but Miami is now getting crowded so people are taking a chance here (in New Orleans) even though there is a language barrier.”
Also under the umbrella of this office is the unaccompanied minor program. If a child under 18 is captured and is undocumented, relatives in the U.S. are identified by the government and the minors are placed with them under the unaccompanied minors program. Assessments and follow-ups continue for 90 days until an immigration judge decides if a minor should stay in the U.S.
Keeping in touch
Narvaez said no matter what service he provides, constant follow-ups in the form of monthly surveys by phone and personal contact are made with clients to keep abreast of job situations and health concerns. A new incentive for clients is a job retention bonus once three months on a job have been completed. After a year and a day, the office works with clients to apply for green cards. Each client case is kept open for five years.
“This is a great feeling for me,” Narvaez said about his position. “I’m blessed. There is a message here – that I came through and now I assist others the same way I started. I feel like I put in extra and am open to help and assist people.”
Christine Bordelon can be reached at cbordelon@clarionherald.org.
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