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Before finalizing the decision to move, refugees are strongly advised to inform their refugee resettlement agency, more specifically their case manager, as soon as possible. They will be helped with the logistics of moving as well as contacting agencies in the new state for future reference.

“The funds that refugee resettlement agencies get from the federal government is simply not enough,” says Greg Wangerin, executive director of RefugeeOne. “We need to find additional sources of money to welcome refugees with dignity to enable them to get started in a new life.”

The barrier to entry into the United States frequently comes in the form of one’s own immune system for refugees seeking resettlement in the United States. U.S. law stipulates that resettlement exists as a humanitarian policy for individuals who have faced or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular political group. But not all refugees fitting these criteria will be eligible for resettlement.

The price of Boris Patrick Mouanou Ngoma’s freedom from persecution didn’t come cheap. For his plane ticket alone, Ngoma was indebted to the U.S. government for $1,300 since it had fronted that amount after agreeing to his resettlement in Chicago.

For refugees entering the U.S. for the first time, the first few days run the gamut of emotions. From learning how to use the appliances in their apartment to navigating a new transit system, their first day in the States is the beginning of a journey to rebuild their lives.