refugee

Immigration assistance is accomplished through the Refugee Services Program located in Miami. The agency helps new immigrants land jobs, learn English, get health care, and seek legal advice if needed.

The Florida Department of Children and Families coordinates the Refugee Services Program. It applies for federal grants to provide services and receives them through a competitive contract procurement procedure. Cash and medical assistance lasts for eight months once the immigrant arrives in the country.

Tallahassee, Florida
32399-0700
Phone: (850) 487-1111
Fax: (850) 922-2993
Contact Refugee Services:

Miami 786-257-5173 | Lourdes_Leconte@dcf.state.fl.us
786-457-3561 | Erica_Perdomo@dcf.state.fl.us

Pensacola & Tallahassee 850-778-4065 | Theresa_Leslie@dcf.state.fl.us

Jacksonville 904-485-9540 | Debbie-Ansbacher@dcf.state.fl.us

Orlando 407-317-7336 | Pedro_Padua@dcf.state.fl.us

Tampa & Naples 813-545-1716 | Janet_Blair@dcf.state.fl.us

Ft. Lauderdale & West Palm Beach 561-227-6722 | Miriam_Rosario@dcf.state.fl.us

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Here is a picture of Michaëlle Jean as she was elected new secretary general of la Francophonie.

A refugee from Haiti, Jean came to Canada in 1968. After graduation from university in Canada, she worked as a journalist and broadcaster for Radio-Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC.

Haiti's current UNESCO special envoy, the former governor-general of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, was named as the new secretary general of the French-speaking nation's union, la Francophonie.

In her assent to the post, she beat out others including the president of Burundi, a diplomat and writer from the Congo, and the premier of Mauritius. Before politics, Jean worked as a journalist on Canadian radio. Now, at 57 year-old, she will take the helm from former secretary general, president of Senegal,Abdou Diouf.

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In 1994, the United States put Operation Sea Signal into action due to the the problem of mass migration of Cuban and Haitian refugees attempting to gain asylum in the United States.

Back in 1994, following a massive migration of refugees from Haiti and Cuba, the United States started Operation Sea Signal, in which these refugees were rescued by Navy and Coast Guard personnel and brought to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Within the next 2 years, more than 5,000 refugees were looked after under the program. The migrants from both nations were kept separate and the segregation continued between single men, unaccompanied minors, dangerous refugees and families. Called Camp X-Ray, there were many instances of assaults within its confines.

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Here is a picture representing the usual issues faced by Haitian immigrants that arrive in the United States. This banner reads: Don't deport to death.

There is an agreement between the Haitian government and the U.S. that allow for the United States to deport these people back to their country of origin

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A force to be recognized, Jean-Robert Lafortune is an advocate for Haitian caused. He is the current president of the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition.

Mr. Jean-Robert Lafortune has spent his entire adult life working for economically disadvantaged people and immigrant's rights.

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Here is the picture of a group of Haitians protesting for equal rights in the U.S.

This week, U.S. Department of Homeland Security proceeded on deporting nineteen Haitians to their homeland, Haiti

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Here is a picture representing the usual issues faced by Haitian immigrants that arrive in the United States. this woman is holding a banner demanding equal treatments to Haitian immigrants

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