Press Release

August 9, 2022

CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606

BALTIMORE — Today, World Relief praises the bipartisan introduction of an Afghan Adjustment Act in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House and urges swift congressional passage of the bill.

Over 70,000 Afghans were evacuated to the U.S. in the weeks following the fall of Kabul one year ago this month. The need to continue to support their full integration is not finished, as most remain in legal limbo, with parole and work authorization that bear an expiration date. These individuals include translators who helped U.S. troops, women’s rights activists, religious minorities and others who were fleeing violence and persecution and were resettled in communities across the United States.

The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans with parole to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status without needing to rely upon woefully backlogged legal processes to apply for asylum or Special Immigrant Visas. 

“Over the past year, World Relief has had the privilege of resettling approximately 4,000 Afghans who fled Taliban persecution and have been welcomed by communities throughout the United States,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “During the same time period, we’ve welcomed roughly 3,000 refugees from other countries of origin – but whereas those formally resettled as refugees are able to apply for permanent resident status one year after arrival, the overwhelming majority of these Afghans lack the certainty that they need to fully thrive in their new home.”

“Americans have shown unprecedented hospitality in welcoming thousands of new Afghan neighbors,” Greene continued. “Swiftly passing the Afghan Adjustment Act will help ensure we treat Afghans as well as we treat other refugees. We urge Congress to act immediately to pass it into law and listen to the voices of people who have helped to welcome new Afghan neighbors, including thousands of local churches that have stepped up to build communities of love and welcome to receive them.”

“We’re thankful to the strong group of Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives who have jointly introduced this bill, demonstrating that Congress can still work together on a bipartisan basis to find common sense solutions to policy challenges,” added Matthew Soerens, World Relief’s U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy. “We’re praying for swift passage in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and then that President Biden will immediately sign the Afghan Adjustment Act into law.”

To learn more about how you can advocate, visit: https://worldrelief.org/advocate/.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.

June 28, 2022

CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606

BALTIMORE  – Today, World Relief mourns the loss of at least 50 migrants who passed away in the back of a tractor-trailer in Texas. Reports state that over 16 others, including children,  were injured and hospitalized. In the wake of such a great tragedy, World Relief continues to urge Congress to take action to prevent more deaths by improving border processes and fixing our broken immigration system this year.

“These horrifying migrant deaths are part of a broader and systemic problem. The immigration policies that were put in place with the intention of making border crossings more difficult have not reduced crossing numbers. Instead, they have resulted in even more harm to migrants,”  said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “These policies cause vulnerable people with legitimate claims for protection to resort to extreme and dangerous options in search of safety in the United States. Our government must act this year to reform our immigration laws and create more humane processes at the border to prevent future deaths.”

This year is expected to set another record for migrant deaths near the border, and as Texas enters a heat wave, time is running out for more orderly border processes to be implemented. World Relief calls on the Biden administration and Congress to expand opportunities for lawful migration and capacities at large points of entry to allow more migrants to apply for protection.

“Our nation’s immigration system has been broken for far too long,” said Matthew Soerens, U.S. director of church mobilization for World Relief. “As Christians, we affirm the inherent dignity in every human life. The fact that so many migrants risked their lives and suffered so deeply in an attempt to reach safety on American soil is further proof that the well-being of immigrants is not being prioritized. The chaos at the border is leading to an extreme loss of life. World Relief urges our government to err on the side of human care and address these urgent humanitarian needs.”

Immigrants come to the U.S. border seeking protection and safety, whether they document fear of credible persecution or not. World Relief calls upon the faith community to welcome migrants who are arriving with unique vulnerabilities and fears, and to reject language that dehumanizes our neighbors. Together, we can carry out l Christ’s commandment to support and care for our most vulnerable brothers and sisters through both prayer and action.

To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

About World Relief 

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.

June 20, 2022

CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606

BALTIMORE  – On this World Refugee Day, the number of forcibly displaced people globally has surpassed 100 million for the first time in recorded history, according to UNHCR news. World Refugee Day is an annual international awareness day that recognizes and honors individuals who have fled from their home countries due to violence and oppression. As people continue to flee their homes amid war, violence and persecution, World Relief is actively responding to emergencies throughout the world as well as by resettling refugees in the United States.

“As war rages in Ukraine and the compounding factors of food scarcity, inflation and the climate crisis continue to impact and displace the world’s most vulnerable, the Biden administration and Congress must work together to  promote refugee protection abroad while reimagining the bureaucratic systems and processes that plague the U.S. resettlement program today,” said Jenny Yang, World Relief vice president of advocacy and policy.

Despite efforts to revamp the U.S. refugee resettlement program that was decimated by policies of the previous administration and the aftershock of COVID, the global situation for refugees has only gotten worse: More people are being forced to flee their homes, and less than 19,000 individuals are forecasted to be resettled this fiscal year to the United States — far below the 125,000 ceiling set by the Biden administration.

World Relief is working to assist the displaced around the world, including with partners on the ground in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia to provide lodging, food, medical assistance and other basic necessities to those who have fled their country. While response efforts occur year-round, today World Relief recognizes the important work of  volunteers, supporters and staff who are dedicated to help refugees find safety and assistance in their countries of refuge and those who are helping refugees rebuild their lives in the U.S. in safety.

“The Ukraine crisis hits very close to home for World Relief,” said Yang. “In the last 18 years, World Relief helped resettle over 13,000 refugees from Ukraine. With the U.S. aiming to resettle up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing the current conflict in Europe, World Relief is eager to offer whatever support we can to those seeking safety in the U.S. while ensuring that the program provides protection to those in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world who have been waiting many years to come to the United States.”

Additionally, over the past year, World Relief has helped welcome and resettle approximately 3,600 Afghan women, men and children and approximately 2,500 refugees from other countries of origin, providing services designed to help them get acclimated and thrive in their new communities. Offices around the country have helped these families find housing, pursue employment, access immigration legal services, learn English, build friendships and create long-term support systems.

“Families in war-torn and disaster-stricken countries are fleeing for their lives and desperately seeking refuge,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Welcoming refugees is a critical component of our civic duty as a country established and cultivated by the contributions of people from all over the world. As Christians, it is also a biblical imperative to stand with these vulnerable neighbors.”

“In acknowledgment of the alarming numbers reported by the UNHCR, World Relief encourages the Biden administration and Congress to work for greater diplomatic solutions to protracted refugee crises abroad while also working to improve and streamline our nation’s resettlement process,” said Yang. “We are living through a historic refugee crisis, and it’s time to make a concerted effort to actually reach the ceiling set by the administration.”

World Relief encourages our partners and church community to work together as a community of compassion to serve refugees and forcibly displaced persons. World Relief also asks the global church to pray for all those affected by conflict and violence around the world. 

To learn more about World Relief’s programs around the world, visit worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org

May 2, 2022

CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606

KENT, Wash. — World Relief announced this week a rebrand for its office locations in Seattle and Bellingham to World Relief Western Washington (WRWW). With an expansion to Whatcom County last year and the expected addition of a Thurston County location this year, the refugee resettlement and immigrant services agency updated its name to reflect its regional impact.

“This expansion not only provides the opportunity for more communities to welcome new neighbors, but it also gives us the opportunity as World Relief Western Washington to build capacity through our long-standing expertise in resettlement and welcoming families and individuals,” said World Relief Western Washington Executive Director Medard Ngueita.  

The new branding includes the launch of a new logo and website: worldrelief.org/western-wa. World Relief Western Washington is holding a virtual town hall on Thursday, May 5, at 7:00 p.m. PDT to share about the vision behind the new name and how services are expanding. Registration for the virtual town hall is accessible via: worldrelief.org/western-wa/events.

As the largest refugee resettlement and immigrant services organization in Western Washington, WRWW has served more than 40,000 refugees, immigrants, and asylees since 1979 and activates and empowers community partners to participate in building a welcoming community for newcomers. By 2023, WRWW plans to serve over 10,000 immigrants and refugees per year through a suite of comprehensive wraparound services.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

About World Relief Western Washington

Since 1979, World Relief Western Washington has worked alongside the community to welcome refugees by following a philosophy of co-empowerment, collaboration and contextualization. Founded in response to the needs of refugees fleeing wars in Southeast Asia, World Relief’s Seattle location grew to support refugees, asylees, asylum seekers and immigrants from all around the world as they rebuild a sense of home in Western Washington. World Relief Western Washington envisions every refugee and immigrant welcomed by community, rooted in community, and empowered for community.

Learn more at worldrelief.org/western-wa.

April 4, 2022

CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606

BALTIMORE – On Friday, the CDC announced that on May 23, it will end Title 42, a policy implemented in March 2020 that allows officials to turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border even if they are seeking asylum. World Relief applauds the ending of Title 42 as it will be an important step forward to establishing a functional, orderly and efficient asylum process so those fleeing conflict and violence can find safety in the United States.

“Title 42 is a pandemic-era public health policy first applied by the Trump administration and continued by the Biden administration. It has meant that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has expelled asylum seekers without a hearing. Ostensibly, the policy has been designed to protect public health; in reality, it has long been clear that the policy was being used to simply ignore our country’s asylum laws,” said Matthew Soerens, World Relief U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy. “We should never use public health as a pretense to deprive asylum seekers of their legal right to due process. Asylum seekers, by definition, profess to fear persecution if returned to their country of origin, and it’s vital that the U.S. government respect our nation’s laws designed to protect human life by ensuring no one is returned without a fair process to determine if they qualify to stay lawfully in the U.S.” 

World Relief believes the United States can balance its responsibility to provide border security and due process for vulnerable people seeking asylum and protection. Therefore, U.S. officials need to uphold their legal and moral commitment not to return people to danger.

“While not everyone who shows up at the U.S. border is fleeing a credible threat of violence, persecution or conflict, and not every asylum seeker qualifies under U.S. law to be granted asylum, we must honor our nation’s moral and legal commitments to those fleeing persecution by providing them with their legal right to have their asylum claims heard,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief.

To learn more about how you can advocate, visit https://worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.

March 24, 2022

CONTACT:
Audrey Garden
audrey.garden@pinkston.co
571-405-1606

BALTIMORE – Today, President Biden announced a plan to admit as many as 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States as refugees and through other means. In addition, the United States is committing to provide more than $1 billion in new funding towards humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impacts around the world. World Relief welcomes this announcement of additional humanitarian aid and is eager to welcome more Ukrainians to the United States, while also insisting that the U.S. should also welcome a larger number of refugees fleeing other conflicts globally.

“Prior to the Russian invasion last month, World Relief had already resettled more than 7,300 Ukrainians in the past decade, roughly 40 percent of all Ukrainians admitted to the U.S. as refugees during that time,” observed Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “We are in close contact with many of these individuals, almost all of whom have loved ones now at risk in Ukraine, and we’re grateful that President Biden’s announcement today seems to open up the likelihood of expedited family reunification and other avenues of protection. We are ready to welcome them, in partnership with local churches and other community partners.”

World Relief is also actively responding to the crisis in Europe, working with local churches and other partners both in Western Ukraine and in Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, Poland, and Hungary to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians who were forced to flee to neighboring countries or are in need of immediate assistance in Ukraine. 

“The additional funding provided by the United States will help meet the immediate humanitarian needs of vulnerable Ukrainians who are bearing the brunt of war. We urge the international community to continue to provide humanitarian assistance as generously as possible to vulnerable Ukrainians and ensure there can be humanitarian corridors for civilians to be able to safely leave Ukraine or for aid to reach those trapped inside Ukraine,” said Myal Greene. “Most Ukrainians who make the difficult decision to leave their homes are relatively safe in neighboring European countries, where most would prefer to stay, in part because they hope and pray to return soon to a safe, free Ukraine. But for those who have family in the U.S. or for whom voluntary repatriation is impossible, some may prefer the option of resettlement to the U.S., where we are also eager to welcome and support them as they replant their lives. A multi-pronged approach to this crisis, exploring every pathway of protection for those who can resettle to the United States, while also continuing to support Ukrainians who remain in the region, will be critical as the humanitarian needs climb in the months ahead.”

While pleased with the U.S. government’s intention to welcome a large number of Ukrainian refugees, World Relief is also concerned about refugees who have fled other conflicts. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine is just the latest in a series of wars and conflicts that have fueled the greatest global refugee crisis since at least World War II,” noted Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy for World Relief. “The Biden administration must rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program not only for Ukrainians, but also for those who have fled similar conflicts that have garnered less media attention or been largely forgotten in the U.S. — even though the conflicts continue and refugees remain in desperate conditions in neighboring countries for years and sometimes for decades.” 

World Relief celebrated the president’s decision last fall to raise the annual ceiling for refugee admissions to 125,000, the highest level in decades. But it has become clear that, without dramatic U.S. government efforts to increase the pace and scale of overseas processing as well as sustained investments in the domestic resettlement infrastructure, the U.S. will resettle, at most, a small fraction of that goal this year. Five months into the federal fiscal year, the U.S. has admitted just 6,494 refugees, which does not include Afghans resettled through a separate process. 

“We need to rebuild a robust, nimble resettlement process that can welcome the persecuted from various parts of the world, with a particular concern for those most vulnerable, who may have no safe neighboring country to which to flee. And we must also ensure our asylum laws offer protections to those of any nationality who reach the U.S. and can demonstrate a credible fear of persecution, rights that the Biden administration is currently denying to many who are not Ukrainian under the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Yang.

As the president travels to Europe, World Relief urges the president to encourage and support Poland and neighboring countries to continue their welcome of Ukrainian and other refugees. World Relief also urges the international community to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people by providing ongoing humanitarian assistance and facilitating diplomatic solutions to resolve the conflict.

“We hope and pray that the Ukrainian people will know peace and security in the near future. And we call upon the global church to support the Ukrainian people, and others experiencing conflict, as robustly as possible,” said Myal Greene.

Individuals interested in supporting World Relief’s humanitarian response in and around Ukraine can find more information at worldrelief.org/respond, while those interested in supporting resettlement efforts within the U.S. can find a list of World Relief resettlement locations at worldrelief.org/us-locations.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

About World Relief 

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems — disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable. Learn more at worldrelief.org.