Americans can help 12 refugees in safe havens overseas for every one single refugee brought to the United States, according to a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).
“We could help about 12 refugees who are still in safe havens in their homeland for the cost of brining one refugee to the United States for five years,” Jessica Vaughn from CIS told radio host Howie Carr on Thursday on the Howie Carr Show.
“On average, each refugee coming from the Middle East to be resettled in the United States cost about 64,000 dollars in the first five years, and for a household of refugees, that’s about 257,000 dollars,” she added.
Vaughn explained that those costs are in the form of various welfare benefits that the refugees receive, adding that Medicare is the most expensive item.
“We have other options besides bringing them here. This is something about resettlement that’s changed over the past 15 years.” Vaughn stated.
She also said that keeping refugees in safe havens overseas actually increases the chance that they may be able to go home again.
“It’s to be expected that refugees are going to be dependent on public assistance…but we still need to acknowledge those costs,” she explained, saying most of the refugees lack basic skills. Carr added that the average education level is only 10.5 years for the refugees.
After examining government statistics,Vaughn said, “The big ticket item is really Medicare, 62 percent of Middle Eastern refugees are using Medicare for five years.”
Vaughn listed various other percentages of welfare obtained by Middle Eastern refugees:
- 91 percent are using food stamps
- 32 percent are on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for disabled people
- 37 percent are on temporary assistance for needy families
- 19 percent live in public housing
- 30 percent receive WIC assistance for pregnant women and children
- 28 percent in public education
“About a third of them have their kids in the school lunch program,” she added.
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