The man identified nationally as the 10,000th Syrian refugee to resettle in the United States this fiscal year arrived with his family in San Diego by bus this past week after a grueling set of flights from Jordan to Los Angeles.

President Obama set a goal of taking in 10,000 Syrian refugees between Oct. 1, 2015, and this month. Some took that number as a cap, but the administration’s intention was that America would take in at least that many.

Many came to San Diego — 372 through the end of July. That’s just over half of the Syrian refugees who resettled in California in the same time frame and a substantial increase from the previous year, when 81 Syrian refugees resettled here.

International Rescue Committee, one of four organizations that resettles refugees in San Diego, met the latest refugee family — Nadim Fawzi Jouriyeh, his wife and four children — and took them to a hotel, where they will stay until a new apartment in El Cajon is ready, according to David Murphy, executive director for the committee.


Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home countries because of persecution, war or violence. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are about 21.3 million refugees in the world.

Murphy said that current conflicts around the world have produced the largest number of displaced people since World War II, which includes both the 21.3 million refugees and another 4 million people who are displaced within the borders of their home countries.

“Nobody wants to be a refugee,” Murphy said. “You are forced to be a refugee.”

He said refugees often wait years, and in some places even generations, to resettle. The refugees who are accepted by the United States go through screening that involves multiple in-person interviews with the Department of Homeland Security and background checks in numerous data bases, he said. The process takes about two years.


Once the refugees arrive, Murphy said, his organization gives them safety briefings based on their needs and previous experiences. Depending on where they’re from and what lifestyle they’re used to, some may have never used a key to lock a door before. Others have never driven cars.

Asmaa Kheiralleh, a Syrian refugee who arrived in February, recalled the fear she felt when she first came to the U.S. She said through an interpreter that she was afraid for the future because she didn’t know what was going on. She’d left her home in Homs in 2012 with her husband and three children.

She said the most important thing for her now is for her kids to be successful in school and for her to find a job.

International Rescue Committee caseworkers guide the refugees through the acclimation process, working especially closely with them for the first three months. Many need help with English before they can find jobs. The organization offers vocational English courses in which refugees learn how to answer basic interview questions.


The goal, according to Murphy, is to get the families economically self-sufficient as quickly as possible. He said government stipends are small at $100 to $200 per person per month and only last for eight months.

The organization also employs former refugees. This week, one former refugee taught a class in Arabic about how to fill out a job application. He carefully wrote out “any position” on the board for people filling out the “desired position” field — emphasizing the importance of flexibility.

On the walls lining the classrooms, former students shared stories and words of encouragement. Many told tales of previous lives in their home countries as high-skill professionals such as dentists or engineers.

When they come to the U.S., they effectively start over, taking low-level labor or sales positions. Many try to go back to school for American accreditation in the field they used to work in.


Amin Alkhaled, another refugee from Homs, said through an interpreter that he remembered feeling happy and ambitious to create a good life for his family when he arrived in the U.S. in June. He said his flights to the U.S. were particularly exhausting because the family traveled during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims traditionally fast.

He said he doesn’t care what work he does as long as he can support his family.

“I’m living for them,” he said through an interpreter. He said he’s worried about paying rent and doesn’t want to depend on the public benefits that refugees are eligible for. He wants to be self-sufficient.

According to Murphy, many refugees end up with multiple jobs to make ends meet. He called it “income patching.”


Arriving refugees have no credit score, so the rescue committee also works as a lender to give them small loans and help them establish credit, Murphy said. The organization also provides financial counseling.

Khali A Shareef, who arrived in May, said he felt disappointed at first because he had to leave loved ones back home. Originally from Daraa, Syria, he spent five years in Jordan before coming to the U.S. He said now that he’s gotten to know the community here, he feels more secure and is adapting.

The best moment so far, he said with a smile, was the day he got his driving permit.

Murphy said the Arabic-speaking community began to grow in El Cajon about 30 years ago, and now, with the influx of Iraqi and Syrian refugees to the county, that population has grown to a substantial presence in the community. He said banks and schools are hiring Arabic speakers to address the growing need.


San Diego’s history as a haven for refugees began in the 1970s when Vietnamese refugees arrived in the area, and the county has continued to welcome refugees. Iraqis have been the largest group taken in by the county every year since at least 2008, according to data from the Health and Human Services Agency.

Refugees can apply for citizenship after living in the U.S. for five years.

“Most want to become citizens,” Murphy said. “They cannot return home. They had the opportunity to come to America, and they want to make the most of it.”

Refugees have become a hot topic in today’s political climate, but that wasn’t always the case, according to Matthew Soerens of Illinois, co-author of a new book called Seeking Refuge. He has worked at the faith-based organization World Relief for the last 10 years, and he said in that time, he’s seen a big change in the way people react to refugees.


“Refugees were never controversial,” Soerens said. He said in recent years views on refugees polarized toward either compassion or fear. After the publication of images of Aylan Kurdi, the young boy who was found washed ashore in Turkey, Soerens said, he saw more volunteers than ever.

After terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, he said, he also saw more pushback than ever. He added that there was no evidence that the attacks were committed by refugees, but the fear was amplified anyway.