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Opinion

Refugees entering U.S. likely get more scrutiny than tourists, students

Statesman Staff
FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2015 file photo, Syria refugee Nedal Al-Hayk listens during an interview in Warren, Mich. Al-Hayk, who was resettled in suburban Detroit with his family after a three-year wait, said officials interviewed him and his wife in separate rooms, repeatedly asking detailed questions pressing them about their backgrounds and reasons for fleeing Syria. (AP)
FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2015 file photo, Syria refugee Nedal Al-Hayk listens during an interview in Warren, Mich. Al-Hayk, who was resettled in suburban Detroit with his family after a three-year wait, said officials interviewed him and his wife in separate rooms, repeatedly asking detailed questions pressing them about their backgrounds and reasons for fleeing Syria. (AP) Paul Sancya AP

As Congress considers tightening up the vetting process for refugees potentially headed for the U.S., we present a set of guidelines compiled by the New York-based International Rescue Committee (IFC) that sheds light on the typical process refugees undergo.

The guidelines give a step-by-step overview of the refugee processing.

The IFC was founded in 1937 at the request of Albert Einstein, according to its website. It is managed by a Board of Directors and Overseers that includes people such as former U.S. Sec. of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and former Secs. of State Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Refugees entering U.S. likely get more scrutiny than tourists, students."

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