The White House is reportedly considering further drastic cuts to refugee resettlement: nytimes.com/2018/08/01/us/…
This would be a further abandonment of some of the world’s most vulnerable people: persecuted Christians (see some of the rather shocking stats on the decline already washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/hey-ch…) & other religious minorities, those tortured for serving the US military in Iraq…
Orphaned children and widows who have fled civil wars in Syria, South Sudan or Congo, third-generation refugees whose entire lives have been spent “warehoused” in refugee camps originally constructed as “temporary housing,” without the dignity of being allowed to work.
The US refugee resettlement program has not received more than 1% of the world’s refugees annually. But for 3 million resettled since 1980, it has been life-changing & often -saving, while protecting US citizens: none of those refugees has killed an American in a terrorist attack
As the US led the world in resettling a small share of the most vulnerable refugees, we’ve leveraged moral credibility to encourage our allies to do their share as well, whether also resettling longterm or temporarily sheltering larger numbers of asylum seekers at their borders
As US began to retreat from leadership in resettling refugees in 2017, other nations followed pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018…
The most vulnerable refugees are left hopeless
Which incentivizes those who can to make their own dangerous way, uninvited, to a safe third country
The most vulnerable refugees are left hopeless
Which incentivizes those who can to make their own dangerous way, uninvited, to a safe third country
This year, for the first time in my lifetime at least, the US will no longer hold the title of the nation that resettles the most refugees. We are on track for about 22,000 in 2018; Canada will almost certainly welcome more, though roughly one-tenth the size of the US
I’m not sure what else to do. I’m praying for @potus, who ultimately has the authority here, & for @SecPompeo, who has been outspoken in advocating for persecuted religious minorities & could override those under his leadership advocating further cuts to their resettlement
You can make sure you thank Members of Congress who are doing what they can to push for a higher refugee ceiling with this letter (greateras1.org/wp-content/upl…) & in other ways
And ask most other Members of Congress, who are mostly silent on refugee resettlement, to speak up
And ask most other Members of Congress, who are mostly silent on refugee resettlement, to speak up
And you can provide financial support for refugee resettlement organizations, including @WorldRelief, who are financially affected by the uncertainty of the decline in this program worldrelief.org/give
Lastly, because this sort of public policy follows public opinion, we need to help change views on refugees. I’m particularly focused on changing attitudes in churches, where many are misinformed &, as a result, opposed. SeekingRefugeBook.com is our best effort to persuade
