About the Refugee Program

The Refugee Program at BEI, which is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, serves clients from all over the world who resettle in the Houston area.

The Program offers core and support services that facilitate the resettlement process of refugees, asylees and victims of trafficking. To accomplish this goal, we coordinate our efforts with the support of local refugee agencies and other humanitarian institutions.

As the lead provider of Houston refugee education programs, along with its local community partners, BEI assists more than two thousand clients every year by providing:

• English as a Second Language
• Computer Literacy
• Civics
• Citizenship
• Cultural Orientation
 

Requirements: Refugees, asylees or victims of trafficking who are 16 years of age or older and who have been in the United States for less than 5 years are served after their eligibility is verified (the last requirement does not apply to clients interested in civic classes and citizenship services). Eligible clients’ status must have been pre-approved by either the US Department of State's Bureau for Refugee Programs or by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service.

For more information about the Refugee Program, contact us 713 789 0333 or at refugee@aetas.com

Partnerships and Affiliations

The Institute highly values its relationships with other educational institutions, as well as industry.  Currently the Institute has working relationships with the educational division of YMCA International, Catholic Charities, The Alliance for Multicultural Services, Houston Community College and Interfaith Ministries. 

BEI also works very closely with the Houston Independent School District (HISD), and other community based organizations.  In addition, the Institute has close relationships with the Houston Area Safety Contractors Council, the Houston Read Commission, and Texas Workforce Commission. The Institute is a member of the Asia Society, the International Alliance for Learning, the Association of Psychological Type, ACCET, NAFSA, TESOL, SIETAR, and International Connections of Houston.

The Institute has been involved with professors from the University of Houston and Rice University to conduct research related to refugee affairs. The local Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) branch was also consulted during this process. 

Other funding opportunities led to links with the National Resource Center E-newsletter, which is a resource center for agencies and organizations working with grants from the Children’s Compassionate Fund. 

Contacts with the University of Houston, the University of Houston in Clear Lake, the Islamic Institute of Greater Houston, the Cultural Center, the Center for Public Policy and the Immigration Center at the University of Houston were made to address potential cross-cultural awareness projects and programs in the Houston area.

Refugee Definition

A refugee is defined as a person who is outside his/her country of nationality, habitual residence, who is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of prosecution on account of race, religion, nationality, and membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Excluded from the definition is anyone who engaged in, ordered, incited or assisted in the persecution of others.

A refugee may be of any nationality. To be eligible for services under the 100 % federally-funded Refugee Resettlement Program, the person must be admitted to the US with immigration status as a refugee. Refugees are legal residents of the US who have been approved by Congress and the State Department.

Due to the extreme urgency of the refugee (immigrant) status - fleeing war, social turmoil, political, religious, racial/ethnic persecution and discrimination, the USA Congress, through the Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs (OIRA), sets strict annual safe haven guidelines for refugee immigration. Each year, the president of the United States, in consultation with Congress, determines the nationalities and number of refugees admitted to the US.

The Federal funded Refugee Resettlement Program is designed to resettle and subsequently provide transitional cash, medical assistance, and social services to eligible refugees. In Texas the resettlement process is administered by local Voluntary Resettlement Agencies (VOLAGS) contracted directly through the State Department

TDHS, under the inter-agency contract with TDHS-OIRA, provides the unemployed refugees who have lived in the USA for a year or less, with cash and medical assistance for a limited period. Within the strict limitation guidelines, the refugee/immigrants must become self-sufficient. During this time they enter the minimum-wage market and hold unskilled positions. Many refugee/immigrants

Asylee  Definition