[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18299]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 27, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 2038]

 

Privacy Act of 1974; Creation of Two New Systems of Records

    Notice is hereby given that the Department of State proposes to 
create two new systems of records, STATE-59 and STATE-60, pursuant to 
the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 
552a(r)) and the 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 11, 1994.
    These systems principally support the Bureau of Population, 
Refugees, and Migration's role in the processing of applicants for the 
U.S. refugee program and the initial reception and placement in the 
United States of those who are selected. The Refugee Case Records 
contain information about applicants for the United States refugee 
program. The Refugee Data Center Processing Records contain information 
on applicants for the U.S. refugee program that is used by the 
Immigration and Naturalization Service to determine their eligibility 
for the U.S. refugee program. The Refugee Data Center Processing 
Records contain information on applicants for the U.S. refugee program 
which is used in the initial reception and placement of persons 
admitted to the U.S. as refugees and to assist in the collection of 
refugee travel loans.
    Any persons interested in commenting on these proposed systems of 
records may do so by submitting comments in writing to Margaret P. 
Grafeld, Chief, Privacy, Plans, and Appeals Division, Office of Freedom 
of Information, Privacy and Classification Review, Room 1239, 
Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20520-1239. 
These systems of records will be effective 40 days from the date of 
publication, (September 6, 1994), unless we receive comments which will 
result in a contrary determination. The proposed systems, ``Refugee 
Case Records, STATE-59'' and ``The Refugee Data Center Processing 
Records, STATE-60'' will read as set forth below.

    Dated: July 11, 1994.
Patrick R. Kennedy,
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Administration.
STATE-59
    Refugee Case Records.
    Unclassified.
    Refugee processing posts, i.e., designated U.S. embassies, U.S. 
consulates general and consulates, and offices of voluntary agencies 
(i.e., voluntary agencies that assist in the processing of applicants 
under cooperative agreements with the Department of State), and the 
Washington Processing Center (for Moscow), 1401 Wilson Blvd., 
Arlington, VA 22209. Locations may change at the discretion and 
depending on the needs of the U.S. Department of State. (A list of 
refugee processing posts is available from the Bureau of Population, 
Refugees, and Migration, Room 5824, Department of State, Washington, DC 
20520.)
    Individuals who have applied for admission to the United States 
under the U.S. refugee program, including individuals who seek and may 
be denied admission as refugees but are ultimately approved for 
admission as non-refugees (e.g., immigrants or parolees).
    8 U.S.C. 1522(b) (Authorization for Programs for Initial Domestic 
Resettlement of and Assistance to Refugees); 22 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).
    Registration logbooks/cards; refugee applications and related forms 
and interview worksheets; letters of approval/denial; fingerprint 
cards; biographic and demographic information such as family trees and 
documents of identity; affidavits of relationship; sponsorship 
assurance forms; medical examination and immunization reports; 
communications from U.S. embassies, U.S. consulates general and 
consulates, voluntary agencies, U.S. Government agencies, international 
organizations, foreign missions, members of Congress, relatives and 
other interested parties; and International Organization for Migration 
(IOM) loan notes.
    The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the Immigration 
and Naturalization Service (INS), overseas voluntary agencies' 
employees and contractors; participating domestic voluntary agencies; 
international organizations that assist applicants; consumer reporting 
agencies (31 U.S.C. 7311(f)) and debt collection contractors (31 U.S.C. 
3718); members of Congress; and other federal, state, and local 
government agencies having statutory or other lawful authority will use 
this information to:
    (1) Provide necessary background information to the INS and the 
Department of State refugee and consular officers to determine the 
eligibility of an applicant for admission to the United States;
    (2) Provide selected information to participating voluntary 
agencies to ensure appropriate resettlement in the United States;
    (3) Collect case status and processing statistics concerning such 
individuals; and
    (4) Assist in the collection of indebtedness owed to IOM and/or the 
United States Government. Also see ``Routine Uses'' paragraph of the 
Prefatory Statement published in the Federal Register (42 FR 49699, 
September 27, 1977).
    Electronic media; hard copy; microfilm.
    By case number, alien number, and applicant name.
    All records containing personal information are maintained in 
secured file cabinets or in restricted areas, access to which is 
limited to authorized personnel of the Department of State, voluntary 
agencies, INS and its contractors, and others specifically authorized 
under the ``Guidelines for the Treatment of Refugee Records Maintained 
by Joint Voluntary Agencies.'' Where the records are computerized, 
access it under the direct supervision of the system manager.
    Retention of these records varies depending upon the specific kind 
of record involved. Files of closed and unprocessed cases are retired 
or destroyed in accordance with published record schedules of the 
Department of State and as approved by the National Archives and 
Records Administration. Files of approved refugees and denied 
applicants are transferred to the INS, and subject to its disposition 
schedules. More specified information may be obtained by writing to the 
Director, Office of Freedom of Information, Privacy, and Classification 
Review, Room 1239, Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20520-1239.
    Executive Director, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, 
SA-1, Room 1251, Department of State, 2401 E Street NW., Washington, DC 
20522. At specific overseas locations, the on-site system manager may 
be the Refugee Coordinator, the Consular Officer responsible for 
refugee processing or the voluntary agency representative.
    Individuals who have reason to believe the Department of State 
might have Refugee Case Records pertaining to themselves should write 
to the Director, Office of Freedom of Information, Privacy and 
Classification Review, Room 1239, Department of State, 2201 C Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20520-1239. The individual must specify that he/she 
wishes the Refugee Case Records of a specific processing post to be 
checked. At a minimum, the individual must include: Name, date and 
place of birth, the approximate date of arrival in the U.S., his/her 
INS ``A'' number; current mailing address and zip code, and signature.
    Individuals who wish to gain access to or amend records pertaining 
to themselves should write to the Director, Office of Freedom of 
Information, Privacy and Classification Review (address above).
    These records contain information obtained directly from the 
individual who is the subject of these records and relatives, sponsors, 
members of Congress, U.S. Government agencies, voluntary agencies, 
international organizations, and local sources at overseas posts.
    None.
STATE--60
    Refugee Data Center Processing Records.
    Unclassified.
    Refugee Data Center, 200 Park Avenue South, Room 801, New York, NY 
10003. (The Refugee Data Center is a project of the International 
Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) authorized under a cooperative 
agreement with the Department of State.)
    Individuals who have been approved for admission to the United 
States under the U.S. refugee program. Also included may be certain 
individuals who sought and were denied admission as refugees but were 
ultimately approved for admission as non-refugees (e.g., immigrants or 
parolees).
    8 U.S.C. 1522(b) (Authorization for Programs for Initial Domestic 
Resettlement of and Assistance to Refugees); 22 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).
    Refugee biographic registration forms; interest cards; sponsorship 
assurance forms; change of status forms; International Organization for 
Migration (IOM) arrival information; and communications from U.S. 
embassies, U.S. consulates general consulates; voluntary agencies, U.S. 
Government agencies, international organizations, foreign missions, 
members of Congress, relatives and other interested parties.
    The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration; Refugee Data 
Center employees and contractors; participating voluntary agencies and 
international organizations that assist applicants; consumer reporting 
agencies (31 U.S.C. 7311(f)) and debt collection contractors (31 U.S.C. 
3718); members of Congress; private individuals or companies requesting 
general statistical data on applicants; relatives seeking information 
about a particular applicant; and other federal, state, and local 
government agencies having statutory or other lawful authority will use 
or maintain such information to:
    (1) Locate relatives or friends of applicants as potential backup 
sponsors;
    (2) Track an applicant from the time of Immigration and 
Naturalization Service (INS) approval until arrival in the United 
States;
    (3) Achieve initial reception and placement of individuals admitted 
into the U.S. as refugees;
    (4) Collect statistics concerning applicants; and
    (5) Assist in the collection of indebtedness owed to IOM and/or the 
United States Government.
    Also see ``Routine Uses'' paragraph of the Prefatory Statement 
published in the Federal Register (42 FR 49699, September 27, 1977).
    Electronic media; hard copy; microfilm.
    By case number, alien number, and applicant name.
    All records containing personal information are maintained in 
secured file cabinets or in restricted areas access to which is limited 
to Department of State personnel and contractors; Refugee Data Center 
personnel and contractors; participating voluntary agency 
representatives; and others specifically authorized under the 
``Guidelines for the Treatment of Refugee Records Maintained by Refugee 
Data Center'' which are incorporated in the cooperative agreement 
between the International Catholic Migration Commission and the 
Department of State. Access to computerized files is password-protected 
and under the direct supervision of the system manager. The system 
manager has the capability of printing audit trails of access from the 
computer media, thereby permitting regular and ad hoc monitoring of 
computer usage.
    Retention of these records varies depending upon the specific kind 
of record involved. They are retired or destroyed in accordance with 
published record schedules of the Department of State and as approved 
by the National Archives and Records Administration. More specified 
information may be obtained by writing to the Director, Office of 
Freedom of Information, Privacy, and Classification Review, Room 1239, 
Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520-1239.
    Executive Director, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, 
SA-1, Room 1251, Department of State, 2401 E Street NW., Washington, DC 
20522. The on-site system manager is the Systems Manager, Refugee Data 
Center, 200 Park Avenue South, Room 801, New York, NY 10003.
    Individuals who have reason to believe that the Refugee Data Center 
might have records pertaining to themselves should write to the 
Director, Office of Freedom of Information, Privacy and Classification 
Review, Room 1239, Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, 
DC 20520-1239. The individual must specify that he/she wishes the 
records of the Refugee Data Center to be checked. At a minimum, the 
individual must include: Name, date and place of birth, the approximate 
date of arrival in the U.S., his/her INS ``A'' number; current mailing 
address and zip code, and signature.
    Individuals who wish to gain access to or amend records pertaining 
to themselves should write to the Director, Office of Freedom of 
Information, Privacy and Classification Review (address above).
    These records contain information obtained directly from individual 
who is the subject of these records and relatives, sponsors, members of 
Congress, U.S. Government agencies, voluntary agencies, international 
organizations, and local sources at overseas posts.
    None.

[FR Doc. 94-18299 Filed 7-26-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-24-M