The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is one of the State Department's "functional," as opposed to "geographic" bureaus. This indicates a Bureau that focuses on a particular issue wherever it arises around the world. The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is the humanitarian bureau of the State Department. PRM promotes U.S. interests by providing protection, easing suffering, and resolving the plight of persecuted and forcibly displaced people around the world. We do this by coordinating humanitarian policy and diplomacy, providing life-sustaining assistance, working with multilateral organizations to build global partnerships, and promoting best practices in humanitarian response.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is to provide protection, ease suffering, and resolve the plight of persecuted and uprooted people around the world on behalf of the American people by providing life-sustaining assistance, working through multilateral systems to build global partnerships, promoting best practices in humanitarian response, and ensuring that humanitarian principles are thoroughly integrated into U.S. foreign and national security policy.

The Bureau works with the international community to develop humane and what is termed "durable" solutions to their displacement. The three durable solutions, are:

- Repatriation - going home when they are no longer at risk of persecution
- Local Integration - settling permanently in the country to which they have fled
- Resettlement - settling permanently in a third country

PRM’s humanitarian assistance and protection activities throughout the world include:

• Achieving lasting solutions to displacement: Finding durable solutions to displacement, including the voluntary and safe return of refugees and conflict victims to their homes, local integration into host communities, and, for a smaller number, third country resettlement when neither return nor local integration is possible.
• Advancing population diplomacy: PRM also coordinates U.S. Government international population policy, working closely with USAID.
• Promoting U.S. Values in Migration Policy: PRM leads State Department efforts on migration policy, including where migration intersects with human rights, labor, economic development, climate change, remittances, and law enforcement.

PRM’s Principal Partners

To fulfill its core mission, PRM is congressionally mandated to fund the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The majority of PRM funding is programmed through these international organizations in support of humanitarian and relief activities. To fill gaps in programming, the Bureau also supports NGOs having expertise and experience in providing particular services. The Bureau funds projects that align with its mission to provide protection and life-sustaining relief (such as food, water, sanitation, education and medical care) to refugees and victims of conflict.

Sources

ACTED. (2018, April 23). Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migration - US Department of State (BPRM). https://www.acted.org/en/partners/bureau-of-population-refugee-and-migration-us-department-of-state-bprm/

PRM. (2021a, May 11). About Us – Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. United States Department of State. https://www.state.gov/about-us-bureau-of-population-refugees-and-migration/

PRM. (2021b, May 11). Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. United States Department of State. https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/bureau-of-population-refugees-and-migration/

US State Gov. (2016). About PRM. Www.State.Gov.Com. https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/prm/about/index.htm