News & Resources
Beginning in 2022, IRAP partnered with HIAS and RefugePoint to build the Equitable Resettlement Access Consortium (ERAC), a 3-year U.S. State Department-funded initiative designed to broaden access to resettlement for vulnerable populations “falling through the cracks” through the establishment of a network of vetted and trained NGOs authorized to make resettlement referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). IRAP led ERAC’s work in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region, where there is a growing population of refugees and displaced persons without access to resettlement or international protection. The program prioritized identifying partners from refugee-led and community-based organizations.
Between the consortium members and their partners, ERAC identified 2,614 individuals and submitted 1,282 for resettlement across twelve countries. 100% of IRAP’s ERAC submissions that made it to the adjudication stage were approved by the US government, demonstrating that NGOs can deliver high-quality referrals with the integrity and urgency the moment demands. Though the program was cut short when the current administration suspended all USRAP processing in January 2025, ERAC’s operational blueprint, including its model for building the capacity of local and community-based organizations, remains a critical resource for expanding equitable resettlement access and can be easily adapted to fit similar resettlement programs globally.
Download the report as a pdf.
