Posts Tagged ‘Refugees’
A Christian Conversation about Refugees | Refugee Crisis
Like a tsunami, waves of terror from the Paris attacks are crashing upon American shores. Valid questions pour in about the U.S. refugee resettlement screening process. Securing personal safety – in the face of sometimes overwhelming fear – drives these understandable questions. Answers are not difficult to come by; but not every answer is actually grounded in the facts. Ideological agendas have seeded an answer-seeking rumor mill that spreads myths-as-fact via social media. As Charles Spurgeon quipped, “A lie can travel halfway around the world, while the truth is still putting on its boots.”
Church leaders like Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, have called for reasonable security combined with Christian compassion, “Of course we want to keep terrorists out of our country, but let’s not punish the victims of ISIS for the sins of ISIS.” “It is completely right to ensure that the United States have a strong process to discern who are truly refugees and who are trying to take advantage of refugees,” says Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, but “we cannot love our neighbors at the same we’re standing aside and watching them be slaughtered.”
Screening out terrorists is imperative and is the responsibility of our country’s national security agencies. That said…as Christians, what is our unique responsibility as followers of Jesus in all of this? What should we be most concerned about – should it be our safety?
Let’s take a step back. What if we moved from a security-centered refugee conversation to a Jesus-centered refugee conversation? It might look like exploring the Scriptures surfaced in Relevant Magazine’s article, “What the Bible Says about How to Treat Refugees.” It might also look like Christians in the West learning from Christians in the majority world who face terror and persecution daily as explained in the Christianity Today article, “Terrorists are Now the Persecuted Church’s Greatest Threat.” It might look like Christians asking the question, “What is God up to?” like the Desiring God blog that sees a sovereign God purposefully bringing the nations (rather than fear) to our shores.
A Jesus-centered refugee conversation might cause us to remember that we are in fact following a Middle Eastern Refugee Savior whose family fled a genocide to Egypt. We might remember that our biblical identity as “strangers and aliens” because our identity is first found as citizens of the Kingdom of God.
And as we move from conversation to action, how might we respond? Welcome a vulnerable refugee family into your community by exploring how to become a Good Neighbor Team.
A Jesus-centered refugee conversation might look like learning how to follow a God who “did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). This same sacrificial God commands us to “welcome the stranger” and “love him [the immigrant] as yourself” (Leviticus 19:34).
By Damon Schroeder II World Relief Director for US Integral Mission
Update on Refugee Legislation and 3 Ways to Give Hope
Given recent events, the U.S. Congress has focused attention on the refugee resettlement program. Before going into the Thanksgiving recess, the House of Representatives decided to consider a bill HR.4058 this morning that would put additional cumbersome layers into the refugee program that would have essentially made the program obsolete. This bill passed the US House of Representatives. It is yet to be determined whether the Senate will take up a similar bill. If the Senate does consider a similar bill and it passes, the bill will end up on the President’s desk. The President has said that he would veto the bill. When Congress comes back from recess after the Thanksgiving holiday, World Relief will continue to examine legislation and support efforts that will make the program more effective and robust. For more information on our response, see our Press Release below.
For now, here are 3 ways to engage in the refugee crisis. Show your support to those caught in the middle.
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3 ways to engage in the refugee crisis
- GIVE to refugee families coming to the US from countries with hot climates. Provide warm coats, gloves & scarves for their first cold winter.
- PRAY for needs to be met for our representatives as they continue to evaluate how our country responds to the most vulnerable.
- WELCOME newly arriving refugees by meeting their practical needs.
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****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE****
World Relief Opposes H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act
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“The passing of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act is a major step back for our U.S. refugee program. Refugee admission already includes the most stringent security process for anyone entering the United States. The goal of the U.S. refugee program has always been to accept refugees based on vulnerability and not to discriminate against any particular nationality. It should remain this way. We need to continue to welcome refugees into our country.” Stephan Bauman, World Relief
Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act, which would create an extra layer of certification in order for Syrian and Iraqi refugees to come to the United States in addition to reporting requirements.
World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, is strongly against this legislation and urges the United States to continue to welcome and protect Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
For 30 years, World Relief has partnered with local churches to resettle over 260,000 refugees to the United States. Since 1975, the United States has resettled more than 3 million refugees – three quarters of a million entered the U.S. since 2001 alone.
“The refugee resettlement program is a life-saving program that has helped millions of those who have fled persecution start their lives anew in a place of safety. At a time when the U.S. needs to show humanitarian leadership, it would be a mistake to effectively shut down a program that has saved millions of lives,” said Stephan Bauman, President and CEO of World Relief. “It is vital to maintain the integrity of this program by accepting the most vulnerable refugees, not excluding anyone based on their nationality or religion.”
World Relief strongly opposed H.R. 4038- The American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act 2015 due to the following reasons:
- H.R. 4038 creates a bureaucratic review process that could take years to implement and would effectively shut down refugee resettlement. The bill requires the approval of the Secretary of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Department of National Intelligence for each individual refugee. The certification process will have to be created and agreed upon by heads of each agency and could take years to establish, stalling out the refugee program in the meantime. Under this scenario, refugee populations would continue to swell, languishing in camps and dangerous situations, and Syrian Americans would not be able to reunite with their family members. The ramifications for international refugee protection and U.S. foreign policy interests in the region would be costly.
- The process, once established, would add months or years to the security screening process, which is already the lengthiest and most robust in the world, routinely taking between 18 and 36 months. In addition to obtaining approval from three heads of federal agencies for each refugee, the bill requires reporting to thirteen congressional committees on each refugee that is considered for resettlement. This is unreasonably burdensome and will effectively end the program. Furthermore, for reasons of security and safety, security and medical clearances are only valid for limited periods of time. During the certification process, these clearances will expire. This will mean that refugees will be caught in an un-ending loop of security clearances.
- Refugees are already the most vetted non-citizens in our country. All refugees undergo thorough and rigorous security screenings prior to arriving in the United States, including but not limited to multiple biographic and identity investigations; FBI biometric checks of applicants’ fingerprints and photographs; in-depth, in-person interviews by well- trained Department of Homeland Security officers; medical screenings; investigations by the National Counterterrorism Center; and other checks by U.S. domestic and international intelligence agencies. Supervisory review of all decisions; random case assignment; inter-agency national security teams; trained document experts; forensic testing of documents; and interpreter monitoring are in place to maintain the security of the refugee resettlement program. Due to technological advances, Syrian refugees are also undergoing iris scans to confirm their identity through the process.
- The bill is a waste of resources. Funds used to establish and run this certification process would be better used in conducting actual security reviews of refugees and others who are vetted by these agencies.
- The bill is a pretext and requires differential treatment of refugees from Syria and Iraq without providing a justification for the additional verification. This would effectively stop refugees from two countries long beset by internal conflict, including refugees who have been in neither Syria nor Iraq for years.
To turn our backs on refugees now would betray our nation’s core values to provide refuge for the persecuted and affirm the very message those who perpetrate terrorism would seek to send.
www.worldrelief.org / www.wewelcomerefugees.com
Contact: Jenny Yang / jyang@wr.org / 443.527.8363 / @JennyYangWR
Who is our neighbor?
Meet, Johnny, one of thousands of our volunteers across the globe choosing courage and generosity by welcoming new families to the U.S. Hear Johnny’s story and why he is committed to serving refugee families. “It is incumbent on Christians to love God and love others.” – Johnny
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How a grateful Syrian family has resettled in the US
Rami never expected the devastation that would hit his homeland and his family in 2011. After high school, Rami went to university to finish his associates in veterinary science and began assisting a veterinarian by providing vaccinations and caring for cows and chickens.
Everything began to change when the Syrian revolution started in March of 2011. Protests increased as the government and police counteracted and things became increasingly violent. From their home, Rami’s family could hear the gunfire as it moved through the city and ultimately to their neighborhood.
Rami fled to neighboring Turkey, found work as an air conditioner repairman and sent for his wife and children. Rami remembers being treated poorly because he and his family were Syrian refugees. He began applying to the UN, was referred for resettlement to the US and he and his family arrived in Aurora, Illinois in 2015.
“I thank God for being able to come to the US because I know that many people do not have the chance.”
Rami hopes to continue his education in the future and return to working with animals.
Read more of Rami’s story here.
Support refugees like Rami and his family.
The relentless dream: A refugee’s journey of hope
From the time he was young, Abdulrahman idolized the American soldier as his childhood hero. He began hanging around US troops while they were patrolling the streets of Baghdad and spent 4-years working alongside Americans in combat situations, learning US military culture and ethics. “They taught me so many things. They helped make me who I am today.” Abdulrahman began pursuing a law degree, but as conflict increased, he was forced to flee from Iraq to Turkey with his wife and baby daughter on the last day of his final exams before receiving his degree. Abdulrahman was ecstatic when he was granted passage to the US. He is now pursuing a medical degree at Everest College in Washington state and encourages newly arriving refugees to have a dream and stay motivated.
“It’s not easy, but not impossible.Unforgettable moments of joy await!”
For more details of Abdulrahman’s story, read here
Support refugees like Abdulrahman
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World Relief CEO Stephan Bauman Calls for Every American Congregation to Welcome a Refugee Family
****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE****Statement from Stephan Bauman – President of World Relief
Date: 10 Sept., 2015
Baltimore, MD
EVERY AMERICAN CHURCH CONGREGATION SHOULD WELCOME A REFUGEE FAMILY
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“The American church is ready and willing to extend open arms to those fleeing war and terror in the Middle East. Whether it’s hosting refugees in our own country, or supporting churches serving them in other countries, the American church has chosen to act.”
Stephan Bauman, World Relief
We have all been heart broken by the images we’ve seen of families escaping the violence of the Syrian conflict.
We are calling on President Obama to increase our nation’s refugee intake to 200,000 (including 100,000 from Syria).
Additionally, we believe, every American Church Congregation can welcome a Refugee Family into their community.
The United States has been the high standard by which much of the world measured its response to refugees. While the U.S. government continues to admit refugees, the annual intake has declined significantly from 1980, when the country accepted and, with the help of churches, schools, and community organizations, integrated more than 200,000 refugees. In the current fiscal year, the U.S. is on track to accept about 65,000 refugees.
While this is a significant number, it pales in comparison to the scope of the global refugee crisis facing the world today: for the first time since the crisis of World War II, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that there are more than 50 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people. There are approximately 4 million refugees from the conflict in Syria alone, with 8 million more displaced within the borders of Syria.
This week Germany has committed to receive 800,000 refugees. This is a monumental decision, one that challenges the United States to live up to our founding principles by increasing our refugee intake. With a significantly larger country and a proud history of immigrant integration, the U.S. can do much more.
The local church is the most diverse social network on the planet. It must engage the great global issues of our time. As followers of Jesus our first response needs to be one of compassion and justice. We must value human life above all other agendas. Let us not forget, Jesus was a Refugee.
Now is the time to act. – www.worldrelief.org www.wewelcomerefugees.com
Stephan Bauman
President/CEO – World Relief
Contact:
Matthew Soerens
msoerens@wr.org
920.428.9534
@MatthewSoerens
Helping Refugees in the U.S. – A Story from Columbus
Imagine fleeing your home only to find yourself being resettled in a new country with a new language, a new home, new schools, and practically new everything. On top of such an overwhelming transition, now picture being faced with yet another devastation that would change things yet again.
One quiet morning in Columbus, Ohio, a Nepalese refugee family recently resettled by World Relief woke early for their children’s doctor appointments. While eating breakfast, they looked out the window and saw smoke billowing from their building. Hearing no alarms, they rushed to the door to see if there was a way out, but with thick smoke filling the hallways, the only other option was to jump out the third-story window.
Sending the children first, then his wife, the father left no man behind and was the last to jump. Miraculously, everyone was okay.
But the neighbors below were trapped in their apartment, so the Nepalese family, after reaching safety themselves, put themselves in harm’s way and rescued their three small neighbors and their mother.
World Relief staff was then able to help this refugee family find a new apartment, purchase meals during their time of transition and donated furniture to help them get back on their feet.
Deeply moved by all of the support, the father of the family soon after got baptized and got involved in a local church.
Simple acts of kindness can make all the difference in the world. World Relief staff and volunteers help refugees like this family settle in the US throughout the year – bringing hope and reassurance in times of uncertainty.
To learn more about how you can be a part of what is happening at World Relief, contact a World Relief office near you.
Here and There
After years of violent warfare, a fragile peace shrouds the beauty of the Democratic Republic of Congo – but this peace is often shattered as conflicts continue to flare up. Over 2 million Congolese women, men and children have been forced to flee across their country, and more than 400,000 have sought refuge in countries like the United States. Both here and there, World Relief is committed to walking with the Congolese people as they rebuild their lives alongside local churches. When fighting broke out in Christine’s village in eastern DR Congo, her family had no choice but to flee into an overcrowded camp. Here, food shortages threatened Christine and her five children every day. And when they finally returned home, hunger came with them. Everything they’d owned was gone.
But Christine’s hope began to grow when she joined a World Relief farmers’ association. Here, she was trained in the latest agricultural techniques and studied God’s word with other farmers. And after the sale of her first harvest, Christine’s profits changed her whole family: for the first time, they were able to eat three meals a day. Her two daughters attended school. Christine purchased a new roof to cover their home and saved up seeds for next season. After years of chaos, stability slowly returned to their lives.
“For all of these things, we praise God for his blessings,” Christine said.
Phenias and Jacques’ journey began much like Christine’s – violence forced them across the border into a refugee camp in Rwanda. Here, they raised their eight children, but the tent they lived in was not home. When they were resettled into the US by World Relief, Phenias and Jacques looked forward to living in a place of stability and opportunity – but they’d also face great difficulty. Once again, they’d leave home and adjust to a brand new language, culture and lifestyle.
After several years of living in a refugee camp and 35 hours of flights, volunteers from churches near and far welcomed this Congolese family in their own language. When they reached their new apartment, Phenias and Jacques got down on their knees and sang a song of praise to God. He had fulfilled his promises to them, and at last, they were safe. They joined a community of fellow Christians and refugees who would walk with them through the challenging transitions ahead. Now, Phenias and Jacques await the day when they can warmly welcome other refugees into their new homes.
In the US, DR Congo and beyond, World Relief works alongside the local church to provide trauma healing to survivors of war, prevent conflict, reconcile relationships and restore livelihoods. The love and justice of God have no borders – and that’s why we’re standing with the most vulnerable both here and there. To learn more about how you can welcome refugees from countries like the DR Congo, get in touch with one of our US offices.
A Valentine’s Day Celebration – Married Refugees Reunite After A Year Apart
With more than 145 million Valentine’s Day cards sent in the U.S. each year, this holiday has sparked a season of gift giving and romantic sentiments for many. Though Valentine’s Day is celebrated by a few additional countries around the world, it’s usually a new holiday for refugees entering the United States for the first time.
This Valentine’s Day is especially meaningful for one newly resettled refugee couple from Eritrea, Mulgeta and Ruta – it’s the first time they’ve seen one another in over a year.
Conflict in their home country forced Mulgeta and Ruta to flee with hopes of beginning a new life somewhere else. Separated and not able to communicate with one another, Mulgeta made his way through two countries and eventually got to Malta. After a long journey, Ruta found herself as a refugee living in Cairo.
When Mulgeta was given the green light to enter the United States, he was resettled without his wife. Here, he was greeted by World Relief staff and volunteers and quickly given a job in the area. “He is a true fighter,” said World Relief High Point’s Danica Kushner. With no sustainable transportation, Mulgeta rode his bike to and from his new job every day, even in harsh weather. Mulgeta worked vigorously, financially preparing and hoping for the day that he would be reunited with his wife.
And finally, that day came. A year after his own arrival to the US, Mulgeta was told that his wife was flying to join him that very same day. Overjoyed, Mulgeta bought flowers and greeted his wife at the gate along with his friends and a terminal full of applauding travelers.
Valentine’s Day is just one of the many new holidays that Mulgeta and Ruta will be able to share with one another now that they are reunited. They plan to stay in High Point – Ruta continuing her studies and Mulgeta continuing to work hard to provide for his family.
What better way to celebrate this day of love than sharing community and friendship with one another? To learn more about life-giving opportunities in your city, contact a World Relief office near you.
17 Families, 5 Countries, 1 Month
Nashville. Known for its music, comfort food and unique southern culture, Nashville is also home to one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States. Since the early 80’s, Nashville has been a prominent and welcoming city to new families resettling in America and according to the 2010 U.S. Census, 1 out of every 8 people in Nashville was born abroad and 16% of the city’s residents speak a language other than English at home. Since 2012, World Relief Nashville has seen an average of 39 refugees arrive each month. That number has continued to grow as the community comes alongside those forced to flee from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Having experienced persecution, food shortages and war, these families are greeted by smiling faces as they are welcomed into a community that celebrates diversity.
With 17 families arriving in the month of January, World Relief Nashville has been working with various organizations, churches, institutions and volunteers to find job placements for adults and school arrangements for children over the age of 5. In addition to placement services provided by World Relief, Nashville’s Mayor recently started a Mayor’s Office of New Americans with the goal of engaging and empowering immigrants. Libraries have added “Newcomer Corners” with resources for refugees and immigrants, as well as contact information for agencies, services and churches. Businesses have been talking about diversity. Youth Programs have been implemented. The city has made a true effort to welcome these new neighbors.
Judah Baird, World Relief’s Basic Needs Coordinator in Nashville, knows how helpful these kinds of services can be for refugees. As he prepares apartments for newly resettled refugee families, he notices that, “If I were in their shoes, that might make me feel a little more welcome – not necessarily at home, and not necessarily safe – but a little more welcome. Clean sheets don’t have to be a battle that they have to fight.”
Nashville is thriving as refugees continue to resettle and community members increasingly stand alongside and empower families through this life altering transition.
To learn more about life-giving opportunities in your city, contact a World Relief office near you.