The Act, which requires refugees to adhere to the same requirements as U.S. citizens seeking SSI, not only makes it more difficult for refugees to assimilate and become contributing members of society, but also drains the limited resources of agencies assisting newcomers to the United States. Refugees from war-torn countries who are psychologically scarred, come as single mothers, or are disabled or elderly are not capable of coping with the beauroucratic processing the state demands of them. Under the Welfare Reform Act, refugees are required to spend 40 hours a week either as an employee or in classes aimed at assimilation in order to gain access to federal funds. Agencies must meticulously document these hours, and precious time and resources in order to do so.
Refugees are also subject to other welfare laws.
For example, newcomers to the US are required to make 20 job inquiries per week, even if the refugee does not speak any English. This forces the agencies to send out hired interpreters despite the fact that employers will presumably not hire non-English speaking refugees. The United States each year sets a quota on how many refugees are allowed into the country. Being a refugee is a challenge in and of itself. While the Welfare Reform Act does provide stipulations for health care and other in-kind assistance such as child care and sponsorship, the necessity for a more specialized policy in regards to public funds and refugees is an issue we can no longer ignore.