Posts Tagged ‘Mass Displacement Blog’
How is World Relief Helping Refugees in Chad?
We cannot let them go hungry during their Eid. We cannot see them crying when it is supposed to be a celebration of triumph.
Did you know, the country of Chad hosts the second-highest number of refugees per capita in Africa? It’s one of the reasons we opened a new office in Chad earlier this year. And yet, we couldn’t have foreseen that the recent conflict in Sudan would push more than 179,000 new refugees into Chad. We have been placed for such a time as this.
Prior to this conflict, Chad had already welcomed nearly 600,000 refugees including individuals from Sudan, the Central African Republic, Niger and Cameroon. As one of the poorest nations in the world, Chad does not have the resources to handle the mass influx of refugees from Sudan.
An urgent humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding at the Chadian border. Like you, our hearts are broken and we’re ready to respond. Today, we’re sharing an update on the evolving crisis and how you can help refugees in Chad.
Who are the refugees arriving in Chad?
The current influx of refugees are from Sudan, specifically West and Central Darfur. Most of those arriving are women and children as it is almost impossible for men from certain tribes in West and Central Darfur to make the journey due to the targeting of males from different tribes.
What makes this situation especially unique is that World Relief has a personal connection to many of the refugees entering Chad. These are families and individuals that we’ve served through our office in Sudan. Our teams have known these people for a long time and have built relationships with them. They have walked alongside and witnessed their Darfurian brothers and sisters regrow decimated communities and rebuild livelihoods. The response to this current crisis is deeply personal as much as it is professional.
Many refugees arriving in Chad are doing so without food, water, shelter and other protection measures. Many will face hunger, thirst, exploitation or even death. There is an immediate and urgent need to respond in order to save the lives of the people who are facing some of the most dire circumstances imaginable.
Tragedy During the Holiday Season
To make things even more challenging, many Sudanese people find themselves away from home, in a foreign land, during the coming Eid-al-Adha — one of the most significant holidays celebrated in Islam.
The word Eid, which means “feast or festival” is used to refer to two major holidays. For our Muslim brothers and sisters, Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” falls on June 28th this year. The holiday honors Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command and is a time when many Muslims give generously to help those in need. Today, they should be celebrating with family, friends, neighbors and relatives. Instead, they have been displaced in a foreign land.
Despite religious differences, as Christians, we are commanded to take care of our fellow human beings. As Matthew 25:40 says (NIV), “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
We pray for our brothers and sisters who are experiencing life’s most heartbreaking circumstances. May they feel seen, heard and protected during the Eid and throughout their journey in refugee camps.
How You Can Help Refugees in Chad
An emergency response team composed of World Relief staff from around the world arrived in Chad on June 12, 2023 to support World Relief’s Chad office in a cross-border refugee response. There are reports of mass casualties and bodies waiting to be buried along the border. A horrific and heartbreaking scene.
Crisis response is a tangible way for us to extend the love of Christ to those who are suffering in their greatest time of need. We cannot control when a crisis strikes. But when it does, God calls you and me to respond with compassion – wherever and whenever help is needed most.
We invite you to join us in prayer and by giving to our response effort in Sudan and Chad. World Relief is aiming to raise $400,000 for this response. One hundred percent of funds raised will be used for direct aid for vulnerable families impacted by this crisis.
With your help:
- $10 can provide water for a family
- $20 can provide clothes for a child
- $30 can provide meals for a family for a day
- $75 can provide blankets and a solar lamp
Your generosity will go directly to teams on the ground in Chad to provide a safe haven for Sudanese refugees with access to food, clean water, basic necessities and temporary shelter. It will also help families pay for burial expenses for the loved ones they’ve lost.
For nearly 80 years, World Relief has been responding to crises and disasters, providing emergency relief and building resilience where and when it’s needed most. It is our desire and hope to see a world free from suffering and injustice.
Carrell Cataya Magno is Protection Program Manager at World Relief Sudan.
Carrell has nearly 20 years of experience working in complex humanitarian environments. She has background in general protection, human rights, violence prevention, community empowerment and coordination of humanitarian response. Prior to joining World Relief, she worked with Nonviolent Peaceforce in South Sudan for more than six years. She also worked with a number of NGOs in the Mindanao region of the Philippines, and she has extensive experience working in remote locations. Carrell has demonstrated success in negotiating with armed actors at the local level for access for humanitarian workers (both her own team and others) and protection of civilians’ rights. Carrell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development from the University of the Philippines and a diploma in Sustainable Development Studies from Mindanao State University.
Refugee Stories: Meet Malian
There’s someone we’d like you to meet. At just 16, Malian was forced to flee his home in Burma. For the next 15 years, he and his young family waited for a place where they could rebuild their lives. This is his refugee story.
Every June, we invite people like you to celebrate World Refugee Day — a day that honors the strength, courage and refugee stories of people like Malian. Will you help ensure more families like his can find a safe place to call home?
A Prayer for Refugees
Every June, we at World Relief invite people like you to join us in honoring World Refugee Day. And we believe one important way we can walk alongside our refugee neighbors is through prayer.
Prayer is a source of power and light in dark times. As we face the largest displacement crisis in recorded history with over 108 million displaced people and 35.3 million refugees worldwide, prayer is an essential part of our response.Â
For me, prayer has been integral to my growth as a Christian. It has given clarity to big life decisions, healing to sicknesses and physical pain and it has been a practice of vulnerability and unity within Christian community. Prayer is the simplest act of being and communicating with God our Father.
Will you join me today in his presence as we pray for refugees together?
Father, I still my heart and mind to focus on you. Speak, your child is listening.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Read: “The Lord your God is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty, and he is to be obeyed. He does not show partiality, and he does not accept bribes. He makes sure that orphans and widows are treated fairly; he loves the foreigners who live with our people, and gives them food and clothes. So then, show love for those foreigners, because you were once foreigners in Egypt.” — Deuteronomy 10: 17-19 (GNT)
How wonderful and powerful you are, Lord. Help me to reflect you and love like you.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Today, I pray for those who are vulnerable and who may not be able to see your might and presence in their lives at this moment. I pray for those fleeing violence, wars and persecution; be their guide and comfort. For the millions of refugees around the world, waiting for justice and a new home.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
I pray for my city and community. May it be a place of safety, support and solace for those in distress.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Lord, I think about our nation’s leaders and government. May they use their positions of power to work towards justice and righteousness.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
I pray for your church, that it would be a city on a hill, shining bright as a beacon for all who seek a new and better way.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
Lastly, I stand firm, covered with the armor of God, and pray against the work of the enemy, who comes to kill, steal and destroy.
(Pause in silence and prayer)
I offer this prayer to you and declare that yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Want to learn more about refugees and how you can celebrate their lives and stories this World Refugee Day?
Nou Huse works at World Relief as the U.S. Good Neighbor Team (GNT) Program Coordinator. She formerly served as the Volunteer and GNT Coordinator at World Relief Fox Valley. Before joining the World Relief team, she lived seven years abroad working in education and serving in urban missions. She aims to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God in all things.
Social Emotional Learning Equips Refugee Children and Their Families to Thrive
At World Relief, we are committed to advocating for refugees the opportunity to legally seek refuge in the United States. But our work doesn’t end there. We know that serving the refugee community requires caring for the whole person and their families.
As part of our bold vision to move Forward Together, we are determined to Go Deeper in our care for our refugee and other immigrant neighbors by addressing root causes of vulnerability and expanding our expertise in mental health.
Carrie Woodward, Foundations Partnerships Manager for World Relief Chicagoland, breaks down one of the trauma-informed mental health strategies: Social Emotional Learning.
At just four years old, Sam arrived in the United States with his family. Upon arrival, they were welcomed by World Relief Chicagoland. Like other refugees, the family arrived with hope and dreams for their future. the chance to rebuild in the United States did not erase the impact left by tragedy and trauma — even for a young child like Sam.
Refugee children carry their complex emotions and traumatic histories with them. This can make getting to a place of stability and happiness very challenging.
Even after coming to the U.S. Sam’s body and mind were marked by the trauma of his past, and he struggled to adjust. He had a lot of emotions that he did not understand or know how to express – so he lashed out in frustration. This left his parents feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, unsure of what to do. His mother told World Relief, “I feel helpless.”
The Challenges Refugee Children and Youth Face
For children, whose brains are still developing, the resettlement experience itself can be retraumatizing as they encounter language barriers, difficulty navigating community resources, lack of relational support and culture shock. Many refugees come from cultures where discussing mental health is taboo. This often means that busy parents like Sam’s who are processing their own trauma may not know how to support their children in recovering too.
Thankfully, with the help of community partners and volunteers, World Relief Chicagoland is equipping parents and children to grow and thrive through Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
How Social Emotional Learning Changes Children’s Lives
Refugee children have often experienced chronic stress for months or even years at a time. Their stories are often marked with violence, poverty, death of loved ones and displacement. These factors create complex thoughts and feelings that can feel scary to explore. Yet, processing these emotions is key to moving forward.
Social Emotional Learning helps children process by focusing on five areas that impact every aspect of life: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.
Each of these areas impacts a child’s self-confidence, relationships and ability to cope with daily stressors. Research has shown that when compared to students who did not participate in SEL, those who engaged with SEL activities:
- Had better grades
- Showed more skills for managing anxiety and depression
- Behaved better in a classroom setting
- Expressed better attitudes towards themselves and others
These impacts have long-term, positive effects. One analysis showed that students who participated in SEL programs gained social emotional skills that led to higher levels of well-being 18 years later.
What Does SEL Look Like At World Relief?
World Relief Chicagoland incorporates SEL into age-appropriate activities such as:
- 10-minute guided check-ins to identify and reflect on how their bodies are feeling
- Writing, drawing, or speaking “I am” statements. Saying affirmations like “I am good at basketball!” or “I am a great big sister!” can build self-confidence
- Using a chart of expressive emojis to help preschoolers identify and describe feelings
- Coloring pictures in response to prompts like “Show us your family” or “Show your home
SEL is part of a holistic approach to mental health that addresses the specific emotional needs of immigrant and refugee youth.
“Equipping refugee children with the tools and treatment they need to adapt and grow through trauma forges a pathway for them to embrace emotion and learn how to process it in a way that feels safe and organic to their developmental level,” said Katie Schnizlein, Early Childhood Program Coordinator at World Relief Chicagoland. “This breaks down the barriers of layered emotion and devastating trauma…as they grow into the rest of life.”
Preparing Children for Life
Ultimately, Katie says, “SEL ensures that children have services that cover mind, body and soul. Through SEL, children have the ability to grow in agency, autonomy, self-awareness, emotional regulation and the art of fitting into the world around them.”
In Sam’s case, SEL is part of the answer to the pain and the helplessness his parents felt.
Shortly after they arrived, Sam started attending a preschool and participating in World Relief’s Children & Youth program. He gained structure and relational support through his tutor and SEL activities, while his mother joined a World Relief-facilitated parenting group where she learned strategies to support her son socially and emotionally.
Thanks to this support system, now at five years old, Sam plays well with friends, is learning quickly in school and is working on naming and describing his emotions.
Read more about how we are going further and deeper to create lasting change and helping families thrive. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Carrie Woodward joined World Relief in 2021 in a role that engages foundation and business partners throughout the Chicago area. She studied community development and history at Covenant College. This education still informs her passion for asking questions and desire to find evidence-based ways to help communities flourish. Prior to coming to World Relief, Carrie worked for an international development organization and an academic research lab in Arizona. She is an avid reader, podcast-listener, and explorer of Chicago’s many unique neighborhoods. You can often find her playing pickleball or walking by Lake Michigan.
9 Things You Need to Know About Private Sponsorship
This blog was updated on June 21, 2023.
On January 19th, the Biden Administration announced a new private sponsorship program for refugees called The Welcome Corps. Through the Welcome Corps, everyday Americans can directly sponsor refugees who are being resettled in the U.S.Â
Since this blog was first published, the Welcome Corps has designated World Relief as an official Private Sponsorship Organization, opening new opportunities for us to equip Americans sponsoring refugees outside the current geographic locations of our U.S. offices.
Today, there are an estimated 103 million displaced people globally, including 32.5 million refugees. Forced from their homes and separated from support networks, refugees are among the world’s most vulnerable populations.
At World Relief, we know you want to live out Jesus’ call to welcome the stranger and care for those experiencing vulnerability. Private sponsorship builds on World Relief’s existing opportunities that engage local communities in welcoming newcomers and is one more way you can answer that call. Here are 9 things you should know about private sponsorship and how you can get involved.
1. What is the Welcome Corps?
The Welcome Corps is a new private sponsorship program from the U.S. government that allows groups to sponsor and resettle refugees. Sponsors will play a key role in welcoming, supporting and assisting refugees as they rebuild their lives in the U.S. and integrate into their new communities.
2. How do I become a sponsor?
Becoming a private sponsor is a multi-step process that includes forming a group of five or more individuals, submitting an application, background checks, demonstrating sufficient financial resources and more. Currently, private sponsors can apply to be matched with someone in need of sponsorship. The U.S. government is also working to roll out an option for people to sponsor specific individuals they already know who are in need of resettlement from another country.Â
Those interested in partnering with World Relief in private sponsorship can fill out the form below to receive more information. All Private Sponsorship Groups will be required to go through the Welcome Corps’ application and vetting process, which you can begin at any time on the Welcome Corps website.
3. Who is eligible for resettlement through the Welcome Corps?
This new program will be implemented in two phases. In its first year, the Welcome Corps’ goal is to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to welcome refugees primarily from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and then scale up to make the program an enduring feature of the refugee resettlement system.Â
In the second phase of the program (which is not yet active), private sponsorship groups will be able to identify specific refugees whom they wish to sponsor. For more information on eligibility, visit the Welcome Corps website.
4. If I become a sponsor, what will I do?
Sponsors assume responsibility for initial resettlement services, providing financial and other forms of support as required by the refugee resettlement process. Some examples of non-material support include:
- Meeting the refugee(s) upon arrival in the United States and transporting them to initial housing
- Ensuring that the sponsee has safe and appropriate housing and basic necessities
- Ensuring that the sponsee’s healthcare and medical needs are met for the duration of the resettlement period
- As appropriate, helping the sponsee complete the necessary paperwork for employment authorization, a Social Security card and for any other public benefits for which they may be eligible
- As appropriate, assisting the sponsee with accessing education, learning English and enrolling children in school
- Supporting employable sponsees in securing employment in the U.S. workforce
- Ensuring appropriate interpretation/translation
- Providing cultural and community orientations
For more information on the sponsorship process and what’s required of sponsors, visit the Welcome Corps website.
5. Is private sponsorship good for refugees?
Private sponsorship opens more pathways for more people fleeing persecution to rebuild their lives and thrive. At World Relief, we applaud the expansion of sustainable, lawful opportunities for those fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
Navigating the process of private sponsorship can also come with challenges for both sponsors and refugees. But you don’t have to face them alone.
At World Relief, we have decades of experience working with refugees and displaced populations across the globe through our various local community sponsorship and volunteer programs. We utilize this experience to equip churches and passionate people like you to walk alongside those who choose to welcome newcomers and the newcomers they are matched with.
If you are interested in private sponsorship or connecting with one of our U.S. locations, and would like to receive updates on how World Relief can support you in the process, please sign up here. In addition, we will send you a free code for our eLearning course “Navigating Friendships” which will help you learn how to build empowering, long-lasting friendships with those from different cultures.
6. Has private sponsorship been done elsewhere?
Yes! Private sponsorship has been a successful piece of refugee resettlement efforts in countries like Canada and Australia, and versions of private sponsorship have even been part of U.S. refugee resettlement historically. Most recently, the U.S. has re-engaged private sponsorship models to resettle people from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba. This new program goes beyond existing private sponsorship programs providing a pathway to resettle refugees from around the world.
7. What about traditional pathways to refugee resettlement? Will refugees continue to be resettled by World Relief and other agencies?
Yes! The U.S. federal refugee resettlement program will continue to operate and World Relief will continue to offer various ways for churches and individuals to engage in welcoming refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations. Private sponsorship will complement the work already being done by organizations like World Relief, allowing more people fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
8. Is World Relief assisting with private sponsorship?
On June 13, the Welcome Corps announced World Relief as an officially designated Private Sponsorship Organization. This will allow us to use our decades of experience and expertise to equip even more church and community groups who are eager to extend welcome outside the geographic locations of our U.S. offices. We will also continue to provide other community sponsorship opportunities — such as our Good Neighbor Team program — through our local U.S. office locations.
What’s more, we have resources already available to serve both sponsors and those being sponsored. The World Relief Workshop is our e-learning platform designed to equip individuals, groups and churches to best serve their refugee neighbors — from courses on navigating common barriers to ESL tutoring. Many of our U.S. offices are also able to offer services to sponsees such as English classes and immigration legal services.Â
*To receive updates on World Relief’s involvement with private sponsorship + a free Workshop course, sign up here.
9. I’m not ready to become a private sponsor. Is there anything else I can do?
Yes! As mentioned, World Relief works with refugees and displaced people in the U.S. and all over the world and offers the opportunity to welcome and walk alongside refugees and other immigrants through local volunteer and sponsorship programs.
You can support this work by volunteering at a local office in your area or making a donation to World Relief. Your gift will allow us to provide job training, legal support and more for immigrants and refugees in the U.S. as well as respond to the needs of people in places like Ukraine, South Sudan and DR Congo. Together, we can extend welcome and address the root challenges that lead to displacement in the first place.
Private Sponsorship Opens Path for Venezuelans: Here’s What You Need to Know
Currently, Venezuela has the highest crime rate of any country in the world due to a corrupt and oppressive government, unchecked violence, high unemployment and chronic food and medicine shortages. This humanitarian crisis has forced over 7 million Venezuelans to flee their country, making it one of the highest external displacement crises globally.
At World Relief, we know that you care about the most vulnerable and want to compassionately live out Jesus’ call to welcome the stranger with actionable steps.
The Biden Administration has released a new Venezuelan Sponsorship program giving up to 24,000 Venezuelans a chance to start a new life in the U.S. with the support of an American sponsor. The Process for Venezuelans (P4V) is a pathway that will provide safety and refuge in the U.S.
Matthew Soerens, the U.S. Director for Church Mobilization and Advocacy at World Relief shares 6 things you need to know about the new program and how it serves our Venezuelan brothers and sisters.
This blog post speaks specifically to sponsorship opportunities for Venezuelans. If you’re looking for information about Welcome Corp and sponsoring refugees from other parts of the world, check out our other Q&A here.
If you have a friend or family member in Venezuela that you would like to sponsor, learn more and start your sponsorship application below here.
6 Things You Need To Know
1. Why was a new parole program for Venezuelans created?
The goal of a parole program is to allow a limited number of Venezuelans who meet certain criteria and already have sponsors able to help support them within the U.S., the opportunity to be approved for parole in the U.S. before they make the dangerous journey to the U.S. border to seek asylum.
More than 7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 due to an ongoing political and economic crisis. The vast majority of these individuals are living in neighboring countries as refugees while many others have come to the United States either on temporary visas or seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In the last few months, the number of Venezuelans who have arrived at the U.S. border has dramatically increased, stretching the U.S. government’s capacity to process asylum requests. Many Venezuelans are likely to win their asylum requests, but the wait time for an asylum decision can stretch on for many years.
In the last fiscal year, approximately 77% of asylum decisions by U.S. immigration judges were to grant asylum, meaning the applicants had demonstrated a credible fear of persecution in Venezuela. But the wait time for an asylum decision can stretch for many years due to the limited capacity of the U.S. government.
Whatsmore, the U.S. government does not recognize the current government Venezuelan administration as a legitimate leader; without formal diplomatic relations, it is very difficult to carry out removal orders for Venezuelans who do not qualify to stay permanently in the United States.
A parole program can speed up the resettlement process and help many Venezuelans avoid the dangerous land journey to the U.S. border, while also easing some of the capacity restraints the U.S. government is facing in processing asylum cases.
2. What does the new program do?
Essentially, the new parole program allows certain Venezuelan nationals who have someone willing to serve as their sponsor within the U.S. to petition on their behalf, so that they can be lawfully brought to the U.S.
It was announced concurrently with new restrictions on Venezuelans who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum. Most Venezuelans who arrive at the border are now being returned to Mexico.
3. Is this a good policy?
For individuals who can secure a sponsor and have the requisite documents to travel to the United States, this parole program could be a lifeline. We are always encouraged by the expansion of lawful opportunities for those fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
However, we would prefer that the U.S. bring in more Venezuelans not through parole, but with formal refugee status, which would allow them immediate employment authorization, access to resettlement support and a clear process to apply for permanent legal status and eventual citizenship. Parolees are only allowed in on a temporary basis.
We are also deeply concerned by the decision to pair this new parole program with a restriction of due process rights for Venezuelans who reach the U.S. border and wish to request asylum. U.S. law permits anyone facing persecution to seek asylum.
The Biden administration is now returning people to Mexico without being given the opportunity to request asylum under the dubious legal authority of Title 42 — a public health emergency law invoked in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that, nearly three years after the COVID pandemic began, is being misused to restrict access to asylum.
4. If I know someone in Venezuela who wants to come to the U.S., how can I help them?
The process for sponsoring a Venezuelan is operated by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and explained on their website.
5. I don’t know anyone in Venezuela, but I want to help. What can I do?
Our partners at Welcome.US have a registration form for potential sponsors of Venezuelans. Please note that World Relief does not operate this connection process.
6. What is World Relief doing to help?
While Venezuelans arriving under the new parole program will not have permanent legal status or access to governmentally-funded refugee resettlement benefits, World Relief partners with local churches to meet as many needs as we are able.
Many of our offices provide accredited immigration legal services, which could include helping qualifying individuals apply for Employment Authorization and/or help them understand their options for pursuing long-term legal status.
Some of our offices offer English classes or other support services, which may be available to Venezuelan parolees. We’re also continually advocating for a more robust welcome for Venezuelans and others who have had to flee persecution and hardship in their homelands, including a rebuilt refugee resettlement program that would ensure Venezuelans would arrive.
Want to do more? Take the next step and join The Path. For nearly 80 years, World Relief has been fighting injustice and helping those who need it most. Pathmakers make this work possible, and you can join them.
Evangelical Views on Immigration Are Shifting
Matthew Soerens is the U.S. Director for Church Mobilization and Advocacy at World Relief. Today, we are thrilled to talk with him about a new study from Lifeway Research that reveals positive changes in evangelical views on immigration.
When Lifeway Research worked with World Relief to conduct a similar study back in 2015, just 12% of evangelicals said that the Bible was the primary influence on their views of immigration. Since then, the numbers have significantly shifted.
In almost every category, evangelicals polled moved closer to World Relief’s views on U.S. immigration, including 70% who say the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees and 78% who support a path to citizenship for immigrants who are currently in the country illegally.
We celebrate this news!
At World Relief, we believe God calls us to welcome the stranger and foreigner living among us. While we are encouraged by these numbers, we know there is still work to be done in discipling the church and advocating for those who are seeking a safe place to call home.
God invites each of us into a transformational relationship through Jesus. And though this transformation often starts at the individual level of the heart, it almost always ripples out in a wave of collective transformation that leaves us closer to the Shalom that God desires.
Listen to our conversation or read it below. Then join us as we use our voices to advocate in the halls of Congress and with the people in our everyday lives.
Can you start by telling us what this survey is about and how it was initiated?
At World Relief, our approach to immigrants in our community and to questions of U.S. immigration policy are guided by the Bible, not by public opinion.
But as we interact with churches in various parts of the United States, we’ve certainly observed an increase in eagerness from evangelical churches both to welcome refugees and other immigrants and to engage in immigration policy issues. We were eager to see if a rigorous research study would confirm our anecdotal observations.
We worked with Lifeway Research back in 2015 to do a similar study, so we reached out to them again to see if they could poll evangelical Christians, asking them a number of the questions that they asked then as well as a few new questions, to help us understand how American evangelicals are thinking about refugees, immigrants and immigration.
The study was conducted by Lifeway Research in partnership with World Relief and the Evangelical Immigration Table. For those who may not know, what is the Evangelical Immigration Table?
The Evangelical Immigration Table is a broad coalition of national evangelical denominations and organizations. World Relief helped start the EIT more than a decade ago, and we lead it alongside partners such as the National Association of Evangelicals, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and several other partners.Â
Our collaborative efforts are focused on trying to encourage distinctly biblical thinking about issues of immigration — both in local churches and among the elected officials with the authority to set immigration policy.
Since the Evangelical Immigration Table launched in 2012, we’ve organized our efforts around a Statement of Principles rooted in biblical values. Specifically, we’ve called for immigration reform that:
- Respects the God-given dignity of every person
- Protects the unity of the immediate family
- Respects the Rule of Law
- Guarantees secure national borders
- Ensures fairness to taxpayers
- Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents.
We were really encouraged to confirm that each of these six principles was affirmed by at least 78% of American evangelicals in this new study.
What were your reactions to the findings?
To be very honest, I was nervous to see what this study would find. I’ve devoted more than a decade to trying to challenge evangelical Christians to embrace a view of immigrants and immigration policy that, I believe, are rooted in the Bible. But there have certainly been moments in the last several years when it felt like we were actually losing, not gaining, ground. So, I was overjoyed to get these results, which showed that evangelicals have become more favorable to World Relief’s policy views on just about every count and, even more importantly to me, that a significantly higher share of evangelicals now say they understand what the Bible has to say on this topic — though, of course, there is still a lot of work to do.
What were the most significant findings in the survey?
The one finding that really startled me was that 70% of American evangelicals — including 68% of white evangelicals — believe that the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees, which U.S. law defines as individuals who have fled persecution due to specific factors such as their race, religion or political opinion.
At World Relief, of course, we’d love to see that be 100% — but it still represents a gobsmacking shift in perspective from 2018, when just 25% of white evangelicals told Pew Research Center that the U.S. had a responsibility to receive refugees. Of course, this study cannot definitively tell us why evangelicals’ views have changed so dramatically, but it’s just really remarkable to see such a dramatic pivot over just a few years.
What encouraged you most from the survey?
Anyone who has heard me preach or speak at a church in the past seven years has probably heard me lament the 2015 study’s finding that only 12% of evangelical Christians thought about immigration issues primarily from the perspective of the Bible.
For a community that is supposed to be defined by our commitment to the authority of Scripture, that’s a scandal — and, I believe, the result of a deficit of discipleship. So what was most encouraging to me was to at least see some significant, positive momentum when compared to that 2015 survey. Among self-identified evangelicals, 21% now cite the Bible as the most important factor influencing their views; that’s still unacceptable, from my perspective, but a large jump over the past seven years.
That’s likely related to another shift: 31% of evangelicals now say they’ve heard a message from their church encouraging them to reach out to immigrants, compared to just 21% in 2015. I suspect that one reason only a minority of evangelicals have heard a biblically-informed message on this theme is that many pastors worry that speaking about immigration would upset some members of their congregation, but the study also finds that nearly four in five evangelicals now say they would value hearing a sermon applying biblical principles to immigration issues, which I hope gives more pastors the courage to preach God’s heart on this topic.
In nearly every category, those polled moved closer to World Relief’s views on immigration. What do you think prompted this shift?
The study doesn’t answer that question directly, so we can only speculate, but I would hope that as more evangelicals are engaging the Bible than were a few years back, they’ve come to the same conclusions as World Relief has, which is a position that affirms the value of immigrants and wants to see those who are undocumented have the chance to earn permanent legal status and eventual citizenship, while also affirming the need for secure borders.
I also think that the recent crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine have reminded many Americans of why we ought to be a country that welcomes refugees and others fleeing hardship. And the reality that the media coverage — whether from left- or right-leaning media outlets — has largely painted a sympathetic and factual picture of the plight of Afghans and Ukrainians has likely also helped and is a key difference from 2015, when many Americans were hearing things about Syrian refugees on television or the radio that, frankly, were untrue and elicited fear among some evangelicals.
To be clear, the Bible hasn’t changed, and World Relief’s position is to welcome Syrians, Afghans, Ukrainians, Venezuelans and whoever else is fleeing persecution — but the media narrative certainly does impact people’s views.
You spend a lot of time talking to people and speaking to churches about immigration reform and God’s heart for immigrants. Can you share a story of a time you’ve seen a tangible shift in the way someone has been thinking about immigration?
Honestly, this is my favorite part of my job, and it’s why I’m convinced that a significant share of evangelical Christians really are trying to follow Jesus and are open to aligning their hearts with God’s heart for refugees and other immigrants if they’re discipled well.
I get the privilege of speaking on this topic on a fairly regular basis, and I can usually pick out a few people in any given audience with arms crossed and a scowl whom I suspect are unhappy that their church is even having a conversation on immigration in church. But when I focus on the Bible, and the many ways that the Bible speaks rather directly to God’s love for the vulnerable foreigners, I watch as people’s posture relaxes and God’s Spirit does his work.
The author of Hebrews tells us that God’s Word, is “alive and active…sharper than any double-edged sword, [judging] the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12), and I’ve often had the privilege of seeing people’s attitudes change when they’re confronted (gently, I hope) with a biblical message.
What’s the biggest area of resistance you encounter when it comes to immigration reform and welcoming immigrants to the U.S?
I think that a lot of Americans, including a lot of evangelicals, have been discipled by cable news, talk radio and social media to believe that they must choose one of two extreme positions on immigration: either be for open borders, with no regulation and no regard for immigration laws or to be for closed borders, restricting immigration dramatically if not entirely.
I’m not persuaded that either of those polar views is an option for a Christian whose authority is the bible, which both compels us to love and welcome immigrants, with a particular concern for those who are vulnerable but also instructs us to respect the law and the governing authorities. Frankly, there aren’t a lot of Democrats or Republicans in Congress advocating either of these extreme views — though some accuse their opponents of taking the opposite extreme position.
The most fierce resistance I encounter is from people who expect us to manipulate the biblical witness to fit one of these extreme policy perspectives, and I find most are disarmed when they realize that’s not our position at all.
President Biden recently set the refugee admissions ceiling for the Fiscal Year 2023 at 125,000 — the highest it’s been since fiscal year 1993. Do you see any correlation between the Lifeway Research Study and the refugee ceiling?
Consistent with this Lifeway Research study that finds that refugee resettlement is now broadly supported by U.S. evangelicals, a recent Pew Research Center survey finds that most Americans in general — of every major religious tradition and partisan affiliation — also now think that resettling refugees should be a “very” or “somewhat” important part of U.S. immigration policy. That level of popular support is likely one factor that President Biden has considered in setting such a relatively high refugee ceiling.
But, as we’ve highlighted at World Relief, setting this ceiling does not necessarily mean that 125,000 refugees will be admitted to the U.S. in the coming year.
In the fiscal year that just ended, the United States actually did resettle far more than 125,000 individuals who fled persecution — proving our nation has the capacity and will to do so, but most of those resettled were Afghans and Ukrainians who were brought to the U.S. through legal channels other than the formal refugee resettlement program, precisely because the governmental infrastructure for refugee admissions had been decimated over the past five years and progress toward rebuilding has been slow.
While we are grateful that the U.S. found ways to support Afghans and Ukrainians, using these legal workarounds has created other problems. Many of the Afghans who came to the U.S. last year only have temporary legal protections and work authorizations. This Is why we’re now desperately pleading with Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act so that Afghans can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing they will not be sent back and this is now their permanent home.Â
I hope and pray that both the Biden administration and Congress will take these poll results as confirmation that they have the support of the American people, including large majorities of evangelical Christians, to rebuild a robust refugee resettlement program that not only allows us to admit future Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, but also resumes resettlement of refugees who fled conflicts years ago and have been stuck in camps or other inadequate settings with little global public attention, and allows us to nimbly respond to the next unforeseen refugee crisis.
What would you say to someone who wants to build off of this momentum to advocate for immigrants in the U.S. and even in their hometowns?
One finding of this study is that four in five American evangelicals say that they want Republicans and Democrats to work together to pass reforms that include a path to citizenship for “Dreamers” — undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, many of whom have benefited from the DACA program — in addition to reforms to ensure an adequate, legal agricultural labor force and strengthened border security. That’s really a pretty remarkable figure: it’s hard to get 80% of U.S. evangelicals to agree on anything.
U.S. evangelicals feel urgency around these concerns, with more than 7 in 10 saying they want Congress to act this year.
There’ve been bipartisan bills introduced in Congress to address each of these challenges, including the Dream Act, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and the Bipartisan Border Solutions Act, but it’s far from clear that they will get a vote.Â
Though 65% of evangelicals say they’d be more likely to support a candidate who supported policies addressing these three policy concerns, it’s far from clear that Congress will act any time soon on these priorities.
If we want to see change that lasts in the halls of Congress and in our communities, we need the church to be active stewards of the influence to which God has entrusted us by speaking up with vulnerable immigrants for more just policies. That might start with sending a quick email message or making a phone call (I know it’s intimidating for millennials like me to call someone on the phone, but our partners at the Evangelical Immigration Table have a tool that makes it so: they’ll call you to connect you to your Senators’ office, and there’s even a sample script).
And then, we can ask ourselves: who else could I get to make a phone call? What misconceptions could I gently correct that are held by those within my own family or church community — pointing to the Scriptures and to the relationships that I have with people directly affected — to get them to the point where they’re ready to make a phone call as well?
We hope this interview and the findings from Lifeway Research have left you feeling encouraged and inspired. If you’re interested in learning more or taking the next step, you can visit worldrelief.org/advocate or check out evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/advocacy for more opportunities. Thank you for joining World Relief as we create change that lasts!
Matthew Soerens is the US Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, where he helps evangelical churches to understand the realities of refugees and immigration and to respond in ways guided by biblical values. He also serves as the National Coordinator for the Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition that advocates for immigration reforms consistent with biblical values. Matthew previously served as a Department of Justice-accredited legal counselor at World Relief’s local office in Wheaton, Illinois and, before that, with World Relief’s partner organization in Managua, Nicaragua. He’s also the co-author of Seeking Refuge: On the Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis (Moody Publishers, 2016), Welcoming the Stranger (InterVarsity Press, 2018) and Inalienable (InterVarsity Press, 2022).
Peace like Breath
These days, peace feels hard to find. International conflicts, ongoing fall-out from COVID-19 and climate disasters can all disrupt our peace and well-being. Yet, at World Relief, we have the privilege of working alongside people who have overcome some of life’s great challenges, finding personal peace even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
That’s why, as a part of our inaugural World Relief Youth Writing Contest, we asked participants in World Relief Durham’s Mentorship Program to reflect on how each of us can be peacebuilders in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.
We are proud to announce Muhammad Hasham Ahmad as our 2022 contest winner! As the leaders of tomorrow, we believe refugee and immigrant youth have important things to say today — things we can all learn and grow from, no matter our age or where we’ve come from.
In his essay below, Muhammad shares how he believes we can all find peace, even in the midst of life’s challenges.
Peace has become a fancy word nowadays. Everyone likes peace but not everyone has it!
For me, peace means to be satisfied — to have a quiet and calm state of mind or simply to be in a situation where you are not worried about anything. From this definition, we can assume not everyone has peace.
Every year, there are millions of people who migrate because of problems they face that make them lose their peace. People leave their home country, some leaving their family and friends, to go to a new country in the hopes of finding peace.
Do you think they find their peace as soon as they land in a new country? No! They still have to face many problems in those new countries too — like my mom did.
She came to the U.S. without knowing any English. At first, she wasn’t able to communicate, but as time passed, she learned English well enough to be understood.
But still my mom worries as millions of thoughts cross her mind every day. Thoughts like: how am I going to provide for my children, myself, housing, insurance, finding work? How are my family back home doing? And many more worries…
Now, let’s talk about how children can lose their peace. Some come to the U.S. with little to no ability to write or speak English because they didn’t have the opportunity to go to school — like I didn’t.
Nowadays, all kinds of people lose peace in childhood because they are worried about living up to society’s standards. Standards like having good grades — fun fact: in an Asian household like mine, you better bring a report card home with all A’s! — a successful future, handling bullies at school, stress from moving, leaving old friends, getting along with new people and much more.
It is natural to lose peace while going through all of this. Everyone wants peace in their life, but not everyone knows how they can find it.
Peace may not be easy to find, but I remember something my teacher once said: “It is human nature to never be satisfied with what we have, so we worry about what we don’t have. If you keep worrying about something you can’t control, you will lose what you can control. So focus on your present rather than the future.”
This helps me find my peace.
We all should work on ourselves to become better, more peaceful people. Focus less on the expectations of others and worries about the future, and you will most likely find peace.
Lastly, I think peace should be as important as breathing. What happens if we don’t breathe? We die! In the same way, not having peace of mind slowly kills you every day and every moment. We lose our concentration and our ability to act and be in the present moment.
So work with the things you can control to save yourself from dying every day. That’s how we can all live a happy and peaceful life!
Pave the Path to lasting change. For young people like Muhammad, finding peace in a new home takes time. You can help create more opportunities for immigrant and refugee youth to heal, thrive and share their voices by joining our community of committed, monthly donors, The Path.
Muhammad Hasham Ahmad is 15 years old and lives in Durham, North Carolina. He came to the U.S. with his family four years ago after leaving his home country of Pakistan. He loves writing and making people laugh with his stories.
5 Ways to Keep Welcoming Afghans
In August 2021, the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, and Kabul fell to the Taliban. Many Afghans, especially those who had assisted the U.S. government, were left at considerable risk. Since the withdrawal, an estimated 84,600 Afghans have been evacuated to the U.S.
Over the last year, people like you have helped us welcome 3,419 of those Afghans. World Relief staff, volunteers, church partners and donors have given generously of their time, friendship and resources to help these families and individuals begin rebuilding their lives.
Within weeks of the fall of Kabul, churches were gathering household supplies to transform empty apartments into homes for Afghan arrivals. Volunteers formed Good Neighbor Teams to help Afghan families adjust to life in the U.S. And, even as they began rebuilding their own lives, leaders emerged from the Afghan community to help us better welcome our new neighbors.
Now, we invite you to keep leaning in. Do not grow weary of doing good — the work of welcome doesn’t stop when headlines fade.
Here are 5 ways you can keep building a movement of welcome for Afghans in the U.S. By continuing to advocate with, pray for and walk alongside Afghans, you can embody Christ’s love for all people, whether or not they’re making headline news.
1. Ask Congress to provide lasting protection for evacuated Afghans
Many of the Afghans evacuated to the U.S. were granted entry as “parolees.” This means their immigration status is temporary, leaving tens of thousands of Afghan women, men and children resettled in the U.S. with uncertain futures.
Take action today on behalf of your Afghan neighbors by emailing Congress and urging them to support the Afghan Adjustment Act, which will provide lasting protection to evacuated Afghans in the U.S.Â
2. Learn about Afghan culture to better connect with your Afghan neighbors
As Afghan evacuees continue to rebuild their lives in the U.S., you may find yourself wondering — How can I better connect with and serve my Afghan neighbors?
In the Afghan Culture Guide, an interactive, online course from the World Relief Workshop, we share essential knowledge about Afghan culture, unpack common tension points and provide practical tools to help move you towards a mutually enriching friendship with your Afghan neighbors. Now through September 30, enroll for 50% off with code AFGHANCULTUREGUIDE50.
3. Volunteer alongside Afghans in your community
Over the last year, volunteers across the U.S. have demonstrated love for their Afghan neighbors by serving alongside them. Whether providing transportation, helping newcomers learn English or making an apartment feel like home for a new arrival, volunteers play an essential role in embodying hospitality and welcome for refugees and immigrants, including those who have fled Afghanistan.
Find a local World Relief office near you to start your volunteer journey with us.
4. Apply to work at World Relief
If you’ve ever wanted to grow your gifts and talents while serving your refugee and immigrant neighbors, this is your chance! World Relief is hiring for open positions across our U.S. network and internationally.
Whether you have a passion for mobilizing volunteers and churches to welcome refugees, advocating for the rights of immigrants or providing support and services to your newcomer neighbors, we need people like you to join our U.S. teams. Apply today to put your faith into action and be part of the movement of welcome.
5. Join The Path and give a gift that lasts
Rebuilding lives and regaining stability takes time. Over the next few months, World Relief is expected to resettle an additional 500 Afghans. When you join The Path as a monthly giver, you help ensure our newest immigrant neighbors are welcomed and supported. Together, we can sustain a movement of welcome long after the headlines fade.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
Your Family is Coming: The Long Road to Reunion for Refugees
Everyday, people like Ibrahim make the painful decision to leave their homes due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and climate-related factors. Their journeys are often marked by loss, separation and worry for those left behind.
For ten years, Ibrahim carried the weight of being separated from his family. This is his story of enduring hope.
An Impossible Decision
Ibrahim was born and raised in the Darfur region of western Sudan. He worked a variety of jobs — housekeeping, construction, office administration — in order to provide for his family. He was married with three children and a fourth on the way.
While Ibrahim loved his home and community, civil conflict left him feeling uneasy and concerned for his family’s safety.
For decades, Darfur has been embroiled in conflict fueled by ethnic disputes and limited resources. In 2003, a rebel group launched an insurrection in Darfur, protesting what they believed was the Sudanese government’s disregard for non-Arab ethnic groups in the region. In response, the government armed ethnically Arab militias to combat rebels in Darfur.
Despite international attempts at peacebuilding and intervention, the conflict worsened. Militias threatened the lives and livelihoods of non-Arab civilians, burned down thousands of villages, committed sexual violence and blocked aid organizations from delivering much-needed food and medical supplies.
In 2013, as a renewed wave of violence gripped the region, Ibrahim made the heart-wrenching decision to flee Sudan, leaving behind his wife and children, in hopes of finding help.
“There was too much killing, too much fighting,” he said. “It was impossible to live.”
Seeking Safety
Ibrahim arrived in Jordan, where he had heard help was available. He registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), meticulously completing his paperwork.
“I always wrote my kids’ names as my family on all the papers — all the dates of birth and everything,” Ibrahim said. He wanted to make sure records of his wife and children, still in Sudan, were included in his case so that they too would be resettled in a new country with him.
Ibrahim found work, sent money home to his family and waited.
Two years went by until one day, Ibrahim learned that his case had been approved for resettlement in the U.S. He passed all required security and health screenings, but because his family was still in Sudan, they were unable to travel with him.
With help from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Ibrahim flew to the U.S. in 2016, where World Relief Triad welcomed him to North Carolina.
Ibrahim remembers feeling like he had escaped death.
“When I arrived, I was so grateful for World Relief because they helped me with everything,” Ibrahim said. “They helped me with a place to stay. They were able to find work for me, and they helped until I felt that I could do things for myself.”
And yet, as Ibrahim rebuilt his life in the U.S., he never stopped thinking of his wife and children, still stuck in Sudan. They frequently spoke over the phone — and Ibrahim continued to hope.
“I couldn’t really rest or enjoy all the blessings I had because I kept on thinking about them all the time,” Ibrahim said. “I never felt complete.”
Hoping and Waiting
Now in the U.S., Ibrahim continued working with IOM in the hopes of bringing his family to North Carolina. He was persistent, calling for updates whenever he could.
With IOM’s help, he was eventually able to secure interviews for his wife at the U.S. embassy in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Still, the process crept forward slowly.
Then, in 2019, just when everything finally looked ready to move forward, Ibrahim encountered another obstacle — the president of the United States announced a new executive order banning Sudanese people from traveling to the U.S., Ibrahim’s family included.
Ibrahim remembers being told, “Everything is correct, all the papers are the way they’re supposed to be. There’s just some rules that they’re not allowing people.”
He began to doubt whether he would ever see his wife and children again. “I almost lost hope,” he said.
But then, in 2021, he got a call. A new U.S. presidential administration had reversed the executive order. Over the phone, he heard the long hoped-for words: “Your family is coming.”
Ten years after Ibrahim had to leave his family behind in search of safety, after years of hoping and waiting, they would be reunited at last.
Reunited
In February 2022, Ibrahim gathered with staff and volunteers from World Relief Triad at the airport to welcome his wife and four children to North Carolina.
“I broke down in tears because I hadn’t seen them in 10 years, and now they’re here, and it’s real,” Ibrahim said.
“The little one that I left was only three months; when he came, he was 10 years old. I cannot describe how I felt because I never thought — I was at the point of thinking maybe I will never see them again.”
Now, with his family finally together again, Ibrahim has new hopes.
“My hopes are for my kids,” he said. “For them to get the right education, for them to be able to be good people. I want them to make something for themselves and make me proud… for them to benefit themselves and our new country — the United States.”
Remembering Those Left Behind
Even as Ibrahim and his family continue building their new life together in the U.S., Darfur and the family, friends and neighbors they had to leave behind are never far from his mind.
“People are really suffering there. They don’t have food, they don’t have water, they live in very unsafe, unhealthy conditions,” he said.
The UN estimates 2.5 million people are living in displacement camps across Darfur, and 6.2 million people will need humanitarian assistance in the region within the next year. The same factors — war, violence and persecution — that drove Ibrahim and his family from their home are still impacting people in Sudan today.
At World Relief, we recognize that addressing the drivers of mass displacement requires a multi-faceted and holistic response. In Sudan, World Relief is on the ground providing humanitarian assistance and investing in development and peacebuilding efforts to address the underlying factors contributing to conflict and displacement.
Building a just world means coming alongside families like Ibrahim’s once they’ve reached the U.S. and it means finding lasting solutions to the problems that force families to flee in the first place.
For Ibrahim, his hope for safety and brighter futures for those still in Darfur endures — “I really would like for them to… have a better life for themselves and for their kids.”
Together, we are taking action, hoping and praying for lasting solutions for displaced and separated families like Ibrahim’s both in the U.S. and in countries around the world.
Across the U.S., local World Relief offices rely on partners and volunteers like you to help build welcoming communities. Join them on the path to hope, transformation and lasting change alongside refugees and immigrants like Ibrahim.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
Abby Ray has been serving as the Communications & Advocacy Coordinator at World Relief’s Triad office since September 2021. She works to amplify the voices of clients, staff and community members by empowering them to share their own stories.