As a nation of immigrants, it’s our responsibility to welcome refugees. But resettlement is not easy. Refugees have to start over in a new place with no money, few belongings and often little understanding of the language. They need support in finding jobs, housing and other essentials. They also have to learn a whole new culture with a different religion, food and traditions. Many refugees are vulnerable to exploitation, especially women and children. They’re at higher risk of poverty, poor health, lack of education and social exclusion.
Conflict and war are the most common causes of displacement, but other factors can create a refugee crisis as well. Hunger and extreme poverty, persecution for gender or sexual orientation, climate change and natural disasters can all push families to flee.
The world’s refugee problem is not getting better. The majority of the world’s countries, including most of the world’s richest economies, do not take their share of the responsibility for protecting people forced to flee from war and other catastrophes. It’s time for wealthy nations to stop treating refugees as somebody else’s problem and increase their protection.
While federal funds provide the bulk of refugee-funded programs and services, their implementation is largely left to state and local governments. In the United States, nine national voluntary agencies — Church World Service, Ethiopian Community Development Council, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and World Relief — resettle refugees nationwide on behalf of the federal government.
About the Author
