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The journey

From Refugee to Resident

This process takes an average of 2–5 years. For many, it takes ten years or more. Every square below represents one month of someone's life.

Interactive Simulation

Welcome to the Refugee Vetting Journey

This simulation attempts to offer a small insight into the journey towards resettlement that refugees have endured after escaping life-threatening conditions in their home countries. Outcomes are randomized to reflect systemic uncertainty — not individual behavior.

Before You Begin

Who Are Refugees?

Refugees are people who flee their home countries and cannot return for fear of persecution based on their race, nationality, social group or political opinions. If they can prove to officials that their fear is “well-founded,” they can qualify for resettlement—the opportunity to live and work safely in a new country with initial support from an aid agency.

Of the millions of displaced people who apply for refugee status each year, only a tiny fraction are referred by the United High Council on Refugees, NGO’s or the American Embassy to begin the screening process for resettlement. For these few, the process has been long, demanding and rigorous.

How This Works

How Outcomes Are Determined

  1. Probabilities vary by application stage, based on the real-world complexity and difficulty of verifying stories and documents.
  2. Later stages in the process involve more agencies and therefore more frequent delays.
  3. Delays add months or years; application closure resets the process entirely, taking you back to step one.
  4. For the small minority referred for resettlement, persistence does often lead to approval—but even approved cases remain vulnerable, and the final step can still unravel.