State-60 Refugee Processing Center Records, 45084-45085 [E7-15691]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 154 (Friday, August 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45084-45085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15691]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5881]


State-60 Refugee Processing Center Records

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of State proposes 
to alter an existing system of records, STATE-60, pursuant to the 
provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C.(r)), and 
Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-130, Appendix I. The 
Department's report was filed with the Office of Management and Budget 
on July 9, 2007.
    It is proposed that the current system will retain the name 
``Refugee Processing Center Records.'' It is also proposed that due to 
the expanded scope of the current system, the altered system 
description will include revisions and/or additions to the following 
sections: System Location; Categories of Individuals covered by the 
System; Authority for Maintenance of the System; and Routine Uses of 
Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories of Users and 
Purposes of such Uses. Changes to the existing system description are 
proposed in order to reflect more accurately the Bureau of Population, 
Refugees, and Migration record-keeping system, the Authority 
establishing its existence and responsibilities, and the uses and users 
of the system.
    Any persons interested in commenting on the altered system of 
records may do so by submitting comments in writing to Margaret P. 
Grafeld, Director; Office of Information Programs and Services; A/ISS/
IPS; Department of State, SA-2; Washington, DC 20522-8001. This system 
of records will be effective 40 days from the date of publication, 
unless we receive comments that will result in a contrary 
determination.
    The altered system description, ``Refugee Processing Center 
Records, State-60,'' will read as set forth below.

    Dated: July 6, 2007.
Raj Chellaraj,
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Administration Department of 
State.
State-60

System name:
    Refugee Processing Center Records

Security classification:
    Unclassified

System location:
    Refugee Processing Center, 1401 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700, 
Arlington, VA 22209.

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
    Individuals who apply for admission to the United States under the 
U.S. refugee program.

Categories of records in the system:
    The categories of records maintained by the Refugee Processing 
Center are primarily the electronic master records of overseas refugee 
applications in the Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System 
(WRAPS), data input records related to processing steps performed by 
the Refugee Processing Center, periodic and ad hoc statistical and case 
status reports related to refugee processing, systems documentation for 
WRAPS, WRAPS training materials, and system audit reports. Records 
previously maintained under STATE-60 by the Refugee Data Center (RDC) 
in New York have been transferred to the Refugee Processing Center and 
comprise part of the records described above.
    WRAPS includes electronic information on individual applicants for 
admission to the United States as refugees described under ``Refugee 
Case Records,'' as STATE-59. The case record is entered or scanned by 
overseas processing entities under cooperative agreement with the 
Department of State.
    Records categories entered by the Refugee Processing Center include 
Affidavits of Relationship (AOR); voluntary agency interests; series of 
alien numbers (A) transferred by U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services (USCIS); electronic files with biographic data of 
refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR); electronic files from the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM) with travel information; namecheck and other security 
clearances from the Bureau of Consular Affairs; and electronic files 
from voluntary agencies with sponsorship assurance and arrival data.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
    8 U.S.C. 1522(b) (Authorization for Programs for Initial Domestic 
Resettlement of and Assistance to Refugees); 8 U.S.C. 1157 (Annual 
Admission of Refugees and Admission of Emergency Situation Refugees); 
Letter of President Carter of January 13, 1981, 17 Weekly Compilation 
of Presidential Documents, Pg. 2880 (Refugee Resettlement Grants 
Program).

Purpose(s):
    The information contained in this system of records is collected 
and maintained by the Office of Admissions, Bureau of Population, 
Refugees, and Migration, in the administration of its responsibility 
for the U.S. refugee admissions program.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and purposes of such uses:
    The primary use of records in this system is to support the Bureau 
of Population, Refugees and Migration in tracking and managing case 
processing of applicants for the U.S. refugee program from application 
through the initial reception and placement in the United States of 
those individuals approved for resettlement. Centralized electronic 
storage and retrieval helps

[[Page 45085]]

operational managers in the Department and the field identify and 
resolve processing delays, plan more accurately for refugee arrivals, 
improve program analysis, and preserve field records in case of 
evacuation or disasters in overseas processing locations. Only 
employees of the Refugee Processing Center have unrestricted access to 
records in this system.

Routine disclosure of information from these records includes:
    (1) To employees and contractors of the Department of State, 
including the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, overseas 
processing entities under cooperative agreement with the Department of 
State, and U.S. embassies or consulates, to coordinate and manage the 
U.S. refugee admissions program. The level of access to records depends 
on the user's official function.
    (2) To the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to 
determine the eligibility and admissibility of individuals applying for 
admission to the United States as refugees.
    (3) To the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to 
arrange appropriate transportation to the United States, including 
departure and transit formalities.
    (4) To the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to 
coordinate resettlement and protection activities.
    (5) To members of Congress or other Federal, State, and local 
government agencies having statutory or other lawful authority, as 
needed for the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement 
of immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States.
    (6) See also the ``Routine Uses'' paragraph of the Department's 
Prefatory Statement published in the Federal Register November 10, 
2004.
    (7) Additional routine uses include:
    a. Biographic, educational, employment, and medical information may 
be disclosed to voluntary agency sponsors to ensure appropriate 
resettlement in the United States.
    b. Statistical and demographic information from these records may 
be disclosed to state refugee coordinators, health officials, and 
interested community organizations.
    c. Arrival and address information may be disclosed to consumer 
reporting agencies (31 U.S.C. 3711), debt collection contractors (31 
U.S.C. 3718), and the Department of Treasury (31 U.S.C. 3716) to assist 
in the collection of indebtedness reassigned to the U.S. Government 
under the refugee travel loan program administered by the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM).

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining 
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
    Electronic media, hard copy.

Retrievability:
    Individual name, case number, alien number, and sponsor name.

Safeguards:
    All employees of the Department of State and contractor personnel 
of the Refugee Processing Center have undergone a background security 
check. Access to the Department and its annexes is controlled by 
security guards and admission is limited to those individuals 
possessing a valid identification card or individuals under proper 
escort. All records containing personal information are maintained in 
secured file cabinets or in restricted areas, access to which is 
limited to authorized personnel. Access to computerized files is 
password-protected and under the direct supervision of the system 
manager. The system manager can monitor and audit trails of access.

Retention and disposal:
    These records will be maintained under existing records schedules 
approved by the National Archives and Records Administration for 
Refugee Data Center (RDC) records, STATE-60, until the Department of 
State receives approval from the National Archives and Records 
Administration for proposed records schedules for the Refugee 
Processing Center. More specific information may be obtained by writing 
to the Director; Office of Information Programs and Services; SA-2; 
Department of State; 515 22nd Street, NW.; Washington, DC 20522-8100.

System manager and address:
    Director; Office of Admissions; Bureau of Population, Refugees and 
Migration; SA-1, Suite L-505; Department of State; 2401 E Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20522.

Notification procedure:
    Individuals who have reason to believe that the Office of 
Admissions might have records pertaining to themselves should write to 
the Director; Office of Information Programs and Services; SA-2; 
Department of State; 515 22nd Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522-8100. 
The individual must specify that he/she wishes the Refugee Processing 
Center Records to be checked. At a minimum, the individual should 
include: name (and any aliases); date and place of birth; the 
approximate date of arrival in the United States; his/her immigration 
``A'' number; current mailing address and zip code; and signature.

Record access and amendment procedures:
    Individuals who wish to gain access to or amend records pertaining 
to themselves should write to the Director; Office of Information 
Programs and Services (address above).

Record source categories:
    These records contain information obtained primarily from the 
individual who is the subject of these records, relatives, sponsors, 
members of Congress, U.S. Government agencies, overseas processing 
entities, voluntary agencies, international organizations, and local 
sources at overseas posts.

Systems exempted from certain provisions of the Act:
    Certain records within this system of records are exempted from 5 
U.S.C. 552a(c)(3), (d), (e)(10), (e)(4)(G), (H), and (I), and (f). See 
Department of State Rules published in the Federal Register.
[FR Doc. E7-15691 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-24-P