Refugee Programs and Services

Refugees are individuals and families who have fled their countries of origin and have met the United Nations' criteria of having a "well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion." YCI's refugee services in South Florida offer an array of programs to assist refugees, asylees and public interest parolees in achieving self-sufficiency to ease the transition in their new country.

YCI has offered refugee employment services since 1982 and is the largest refugee employment provider in Florida. In 1997 YCI joined the network of U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants to provide Reception and Placement and Matching Grant Program services mainly to the refugees fleeing the revolution in Cuba, but have also assisted individuals from Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Vietnam, Iran, former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, Colombia, Haiti, El Salvador, Venezuela and smaller numbers of individuals from other countries.

All services are free and are available in the languages spoken by those we serve.