Posts Tagged ‘Refugees’
The Baby in the Manger and at the Border: What Paula White Gets Wrong
My pre-school-aged daughter made a compelling observation as she played with our nativity set a few years ago, rehearsing the Christmas story as it appears in her childrenâs storybook Bible. âDad,â she observed, her eyes fixed on the collection of wooden shepherds, animals, âwise men,â and the holy family of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, âWeâre missing a figurine. We donât have the âmean king.ââ
Few peopleâeven those who, like our family, try to keep Jesus at the center of our Christmas celebrationsâspend much time reflecting on the most troubling part of the biblical narrative of Christâs birth. Iâve not yet encountered a crĂšche that included a King Herod figurine. We tend to conclude our Christmas pageants with the three Magi bowing down before Jesus. The curtain comes down, and we all go home to open gifts and enjoy a meal.
But thatâs not the end of the story. According to the Gospel of Matthew, as soon as the Magi leave to return to their country, Joseph is warned in a dream that the tyrannical King Herod would shortly begin a genocide of little boys in Bethlehem. Joseph got up in the middle of the night and escaped to Egypt with Mary and the newborn Jesus, out of Herodâs reach.
While mystical stars, shepherds and angels have little to do with our day-to-day lives, this part of the story is painfully pertinent to our headlines today. Jesus was a child refugee, part of a family that fled a credible fear of persecution by seeking asylum in a foreign land. As children and their parents have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months with similar stories, many fleeing gang violence in Central America, how could followers of Jesus not respond with compassion?
According to Paula White, our response should be to double down on tough immigration policies. Why? Because, according to her, Jesusâ situation was fundamentally different than families arriving at the border today.
âHe did live in Egypt⊠but it was not illegal,â said White to CBN.
And then, much to the chagrin of many theologians, she went further: âIf he had broke the law then he would have been sinful and he would not have been our Messiah.”
Itâs a tidy argumentâbut it just doesnât work with the rest of the biblical witness. Various biblical examples of civil disobedience quickly make any such claim untenable. The Hebrew midwives are praised for defying the murderous decree of Pharaoh, who like Herod, ordered that Israelite infants be slaughtered. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to worship an idol. The Apostle Paul, whose instruction to âbe subject to the governing authoritiesâ is sometimes cited as a basis for total obedience to civil laws, spent time in jail, having violated unjust laws. The Apostle Peter, when charged to stop preaching the gospel, insisted that âwe must obey God rather than human beingsââan attitude that led to his incarceration and martyrdom.
Most importantly, though, Jesus himself was repeatedly criticized for lawlessness. On one occasion, he healed a man born with a shriveled hand, infuriating the Jewish religious leaders who saw this as defying the Ten Commandments by breaking the Sabbath. It is one of few incidents in the gospels when Jesus is described as becoming angry, distressed by these leadersâ hardheartedness, putting their interpretation of the law ahead of compassion for the human suffering in front of them.
When Jesus later acknowledged that he was king (albeit, of a kingdom ânot of this worldâ), he was challenging Roman law, which acknowledged no ultimate authority but Caesar. Christ was condemned by the state as a criminal and executedâbut this act of love and compassion was certainly not a sin. It was the sacrifice that Christians believe saved us from our sins and what compels us to extend grace to others.
For those who follow Jesus today, we can insist that our government respond to the plight of vulnerable people in ways that both extend compassion and honor the law. And as a matter of fact, a U.S.-ratified treaty does allow those with a credible fear of persecution to request asylum at the border, even if they âenter or are present⊠without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence.â
Of course, not all will qualify. Some, even those with heartbreaking stories, may not meet the precise definition of a refugee under U.S. law. But we can still treat all with dignity, not separating families, norâexcept in the rare case that there is a compelling reason to believe they could pose a public safety riskâdetaining them. Churches, non-profit organizations and the extended families of these asylum-seekers are eager to help support them while they wait for their day in court. Whatâs more, such alternatives have been proven effectiveânot to mention significantly more affordableâin ensuring people show up for their hearings as required.
I donât know whether Jesusâ flight to Egypt was lawful or not. But I know that if my daughterâs life was at riskâwhether from a âmean kingâ or MS-13âIâd flee. Her life is far more precious than my respect for man-made laws. And Iâd pray, when I reached the other side of the border, to be met by compassion.
Matthew Soerens serves as the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief and is the coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate (InterVarsity Press, 2018). Follow Matthew on Twitter.
Frontline Report: The Rohingya Refugee Crisis
Image Credit: Integral Alliance, integralalliance.org
Frontline Reports is a series written entirely by program experts and local staff on the ground where World Relief works â updating on the countries, contexts, and situations, as they evolve.
The Situation:
It seems as if every couple of weeks we hear about a new conflict or disaster happening around the world. Our support efforts seem like a drop in a giant ocean. The demands feel bigger than we can meet, leaving us resigned and overwhelmed by the immense need. Thankfully, we are not alone; God calls us to comfort all who mourn, to love the foreigner and trust that he can do more than we can ever ask or imagine.
The Rohingya refugee crisis is currently the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world. The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim ethnic group, largely from Rakhine State in Myanmar, who have been marginalized for centuries. Because of their status in Myanmar, the Rohingya are denied access to citizenship, education, medical assistance, employment and other basic rights. Described by the U.N. in 2013 as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, the Rohingya are despised and seen as outsiders in their own land.
Last year, a resurgence of violence and persecution in a military crackdown forced over half a million Rohingya to flee across the border to Bangladesh in search of safety. Many Rohingya were forced to flee as their homes were burned down, villages destroyed and family members killed in front their eyes. Since that time, nearly 720,000 new refugees have crowded into quickly constructed settlements in southern Bangladesh, and the majority are widows and children whose husbands and fathers were killed in the violence. They have lost their legal documentation, belongings, livelihood and homes and have little power over their futures. Now, thousands of families are living in unsanitary settlements, struggling to access food, clean water, healthcare and other basic needs.
The start of the monsoon season this summer further endangers over half a million Rohingya refugee children; poorly constructed shelters in the refugee camps of Coxâs Bazar are likely to crumble or be swept away by landslides in the coming weeks. The roads to the camp are feared to become impassable due to flooding, effectively rendering these refugees beyond the reach of aid. The world is waiting for this disaster-within-a-disaster to occur, unleashing destruction and chaos among already fragile lives.
Our Response:
In response to the devastation and through our partnerships, World Relief is providing lifesaving healthcare services and outbreak prevention for refugee communities who are living in unsanitary conditions and fall prey to serious outbreaks of infectious diseases. In addition, we are providing shelter kits which will help families living in especially vulnerable shelters weather the start of the monsoon season in disaster-prone Bangladesh. Though these programs target over 350,000 Rohingya refugees, the situation remains dire and requires an increasing and comprehensive response for the thousands more suffering.
With the heaviest rains expected in July, I find myself asking, âWhat more can we do?â As the Rohingya crisis moves from abrupt flight and emergency response to long-term survival, will the world lose interest? And will we, the Church, forget about these marginalized people? My prayer is that it would not be so, and that as followers of Jesus we would show up in the midst of this disaster and bring light and the love of Christ.
Trusting in Godâs Plan:
Though the situation of the Rohingya often seems beyond reach, I believe that God has a plan. Throughout Scripture, we see His loving and just character at work. God cares for those who the world rejects and deems as unworthy or beyond the reach of help â the prostitute, the Samaritan, the uneducated, the sick, the poor, women and children. Even more, He takes on that marginalization and offers redemption.
Our God cares about those who the world would not give a second glance. Jesus does not simply heal the physical, but He restores so that we may have full life. He does not only provide, but He gives in abundance. Imagine the testimony if Godâs Church helped bring about good for the Rohingya people!
Today, I am reminded that the God we serve âis able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream ofâinfinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopesâ (Eph. 2:20).
Let us take courage in this good news and be moved to action, in faith, on behalf of the Rohingya people.
What you can do:
Pray. As followers of Christ, we are connected to the heart of God. When we pray on behalf of others, there is a godly passion for the disenfranchised. Please join us in prayer that the Rohingya would find new life and experience the love of God in a way that is beyond what they could ever hope or imagine.
Advocate. God has given each of us a unique voice in our communities. The Rohingya crisis requires us to be advocates for this marginalized people group. Whether that is advocating to national leaders for access for NGOs or creating awareness of this crisis in your church or community, we encourage you to use your voice.
Give. We are responding to the Rohingya refugee crisis in southern Bangladesh through the Integral Alliance, a group of Christian organizations who partner together in disaster response. World Relief is working to provide shelter improvement kits to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk of a further disaster during the storms and cyclones expected in coming weeks. World Relief and partners are also providing essential healthcare services and outbreak prevention and control to refugee communities. The program includes direct healthcare through preventative services and the provision of community healthcare through a network of Community Health Workers. Together, these programs target over 350,000 Rohingya refugees.
Laura Mouanoutoua joined World Relief in 2015 and currently serves as Program Officer for Disaster Response and Middle East programs. Laura grew up in the DR Congo, where her parents served as missionaries, and has witnessed first-hand the difficulties that internally displaced peoples and refugees face. Laura is passionate about engaging against social injustices, with a strong spiritual conviction and desire to work with the church at large for the support and success of refugee and conflict-affected populations.
Imagine Love
Earlier this week, World Reliefâs CEO, Tim Breene, asked us not to turn a blind eye to the incredible suffering of refugees and asylees worldwide. Indifference to pain and suffering on this scale, he wrote, cannot be the answer. In this same piece, Tim asked, âWhat then are we to do in the face of a refugee crisis of unprecedented scale?â
There are no easy answers to these questions, and no quick fixes either. And though we may not have all the solutions, we do have hope. Because we know there is one thing we can do – with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds.
We can love.
âLove your neighbor as yourself,â Jesus taught us. So what does that mean for us here at World Relief? And what does it mean in the context of our work with refugees? Yes, as a Christian organization, we strive to live biblically and to embody compassionate, unconditional love through all that we do. But how do we really put that love into action? And does it really make a difference?
Last year I was in a meeting when my colleague, Emily Gray, expressed our desire to love at every step along the journey, âfrom social security cards to birthday cards,â she smiled.
That phrase has stuck with me ever since. Why? Because it so perfectly represents the ways in which I see World Relief staff go beyond both whatâs required and expected, in small (and often big) acts of love.
Iâd like you to do something for me. Iâd like you to imagine that you and your family have spent the last six years fleeing danger, with little more than the clothes on your back. Youâve lost friends, youâve lost family, perhaps youâve even lost hope. Imagine youâre finally given the opportunity to rebuild your life, yet upon arrival, as you try to read the airport signs in a foreign language, the realization dawns on you: This is only the beginning of the next struggle.
This realization could be devastating. It could be crippling. It could even be too much to bear. You had always imagined that once you found refuge, the pain, the loss, the hopelessness would be behind you. Yet suddenly the questions begin running through your mind⊠How will you learn a new language? How will you find a job and support your family? How will you get around? How will you pay your bills? How will you even know what questions to ask and who to ask? Imagine the overwhelming loss of control you might feel. The panic. The fear. The weight of responsibility.
Now, with this all running through your head, imagine a smile as you exit customs. Imagine a sign of welcome in your language. Imagine an embrace. Imagine a family, giving up their evening, to take you home in a warm car. Imagine that new home, well furnished, prepared for your arrival. Imagine your favorite food on the table. Imagine a community of other families like yours, coming together to welcome you on that first night. Imagine conversation in your native tongue â the answers to so many of your questions answered by those that have gone before you.
Now imagine the realization that you wonât have to do this alone. That from job placement, to English classes, to bus route training, to child care, to DMV lines and hospital appointments, someone will be with you. And that someone will show you love, compassion, and friendship at every step along the way. From social security card, to birthday card.
Has the fear subsided yet? Do you feel loved?
At World Relief, weâve welcomed and provided support to almost 300,000 refugees since 1979. We love these strangers as neighbors because Jesus calls us to love. But we also do it because we know thatâs what weâd all want for our own families. And we believe that every family deserves the opportunity to build a stable, secure life. Love is more than an organizational identity for us at World Relief. Itâs in the DNA of our leadership, our staff, our partners, and volunteers.
Now let us return to Timâs question: âWhat then are we to do in the face of a refugee crisis of unprecedented scale?â
There is much we cannot control. But that does not mean we have to stand idly by. We can continue to advocate, to love, and to speak out on behalf of vulnerable refugees all around the world. Because this, this we can control. This we can do.
We can love.
Francesca Albano currently serves as Product Development Lead at World Relief. With a background in Cultural Anthropology and a graduate degree in Strategic Marketing Communications, she connects her interests in societal studies and global cultures with her training in brand strategy and storytelling. Francesca is especially passionate about grassroots community development and the treatment and advancement of women and girls around the world.
How Will the Lens of History Judge Us?
This Wednesday is World Refugee Day. For many, if not most of us, it will pass by largely unnoticed, especially in the midst of such turbulent times. We are in the middle of a global refugee crisis of unparalleled scale, yet often, it seems we have become accustomed to the pictures and stories of suffering and immune to the pain. Perhaps this is understandable. Many might call it self-preservation. But when we look back on today, how will the lens of history judge us?
Tipping points in history are hard to see when there is no single decisive event that marks the change. And it is easy to be blinded by busyness, by oneâs own troubles or by the love of our own comforts. But as the people of God we are called to see reality as God sees it.
Jesus called us in the Great Commandment in Matthew 22 to âlove our neighbor as ourselves,â and the example of His life made it clear that this does not simply mean the person around the corner, but the orphan and the widow, the vulnerable, the oppressed and the dispossessed.
So what are we to do in the face of a refugee crisis of unprecedented scale with 25 million refugee and asylum-seekers fleeing violence and unspeakable atrocities in places like Myanmar, Syria, El Salvador, Iraq and South Sudan? What are we to do when the United States appears to be fleeing from the values and leadership that once set it apart from the world?
David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, recently wrote in a Washington Post editorial that âif current trends continue, the U.S. government will have no refugee resettlement program at the end of this administration.â
This may appear an exaggeration, yet the facts speak for themselves. Miliband, building on IRC information, reports from Reuters and data from the State Departmentâs Refugee Processing Center, revealed the grim realities of our current refugee policy.
In 2017, the U.S. received 6,996 Iraqi refugees. In the first half of this fiscal year, only 107 arrived. Iranâs numbers were comparable: 2,577 came to the U.S. in 2017 and only 31 in the first half of 2018. And only 44 Syrians had been given asylum within our borders, in contrast to the 6,557 last year. Thatâs fewer than were killed in the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria on April 7th.
This dramatic decline also impacts Afghans and Iraqis who have served the United States overseas and are targeted back home because of it. The number of âSpecial Immigrant Visasâ (SIV), and âP2 Direct Accessâ(P2) visas, through which these brave immigrants enter the country, has lowered significantly. A mere 36 Iraqi P2 refugees have arrived in 2018 â a striking contrast with last yearâs 3,051. Since March of 2018, SIV arrivals have plummeted by an average of 500 a month.
Persecuted Christian refugee admissions have also dropped by historic proportions. In the year prior to the current administration, the number of Christian refugees admitted to the US. was over 42,000. If the current pace of admissions continues through December, this number will drop to less than a third of that level, with most coming from the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said âour lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.â
Of course, we understand the security and economic concerns many have over the influx of foreign-born people coming to the United States. We sympathize with those who feel left out, marginalized or simply not heard in todayâs fast-changing world. But turning a blind eye to the incredible suffering of refugees and asylees worldwide is not the answer to the challenges we face as a society. Indifference to pain and suffering on this scale cannot be the answer.
Our concern needs to be for the poor everywhere, not in one place at the expense of another. Last year the wealth of the USA (as measured by GDP) grew by $766 billion. Surely it is not too much to ask to that we not turn our backs on these most vulnerable people when as a nation we enjoy such bounty?
Our God lives above all history, seeing everything in the ever present “now.” Let us pray that He will grant us a new lens to see the untold suffering of our day and enter into it with compassion and courage. In this, we will rise above the fog of our everyday cares and join Him in changing the course of our time. And perhaps those who follow us may take courage by our example.
Tim Breene served on the World Relief Board from 2010 to 2015 before assuming the role of CEO in 2016. Timâs business career has spanned nearly 40 years with organizations like McKinsey, and Accenture where he was the Corporate Development Officer and Founder and Chief Executive of Accenture Interactive. Tim is the co-author of Jumping the S-Curve, published by Harvard Publishing. Tim and his wife Michele, a longtime supporter of World Relief, have a wealth of experience working with Christian leaders in the United States and around the world.
VIDEO: Al’s Story
When violent extremists burned down his motherâs medical clinic and attempted to kidnap him, Al and his parents fled Iraq and were eventually resettled in the U.S. Watch his incredible journey and join us as we help immigrants and refugees rebuild their lives in the U.S.
Frontline Report: Jordan
This year, we will be launching a new Perspectives series called Frontline Reports. This series is intended to provide updates on the countries, contexts, and situations in which we work as they continue to evolve. The reports will be written entirely by program experts and local staff on the ground.
This past March marked the 7-year anniversary of the war in Syria. It is a grim anniversary, marking seven years of loss, suffering and displacement for millions of people across the Middle East. Each month, the worldâs attention to the war in Syria ebbs and flows, usually dictated by a surge of media coverage in response to a specific event. But between the intermittent spikes of media attention, millions of people continually endure the consequences of violence and displacement across the Middle East
Seven years into the crisis, the massive needs of displaced populations continue to grow. Families have now mostly depleted whatever resources they managed to flee with at the start of the crisis. They face increased debt, financial pressure, shrinking resources and limited opportunities for generating income. Many are struggling to survive and meet basic needs, which sadly results in an increased reliance on negative coping mechanisms, like early or forced marriage, child labor, domestic violence and exploitative labor. Facing similarly dire circumstances, countries hosting refugees are experiencing increased pressure on already overburdened social, economic and political systems, resulting in a scarcity of resources and growing tensions between the diverse communities residing within Jordan and other countries in the Middle East.
The consequences of displacement are long-term and generational. Recognizing this complexity, World Relief come alongside these communities to build their capacity to find practical and sustainable solutions to their needs; solutions which address the root causes of the issues affecting their communities, not just the consequences.
The foundation of all of World Reliefâs work in the Middle East is the belief that affected communities are in the best position to strategize and implement effective and relevant solutions that will endure for generations. Together with the community, World Relief has developed a unique framework that seeks to engage and strengthen the whole family, both as individuals and as a family unit. By targeting entire families through both individual and joint programs, World Relief desires to see vulnerable refugee families and receiving communities healed, safe and thriving, despite the incredible pressures they face.
World Reliefâs programs target women, men, boys and girls in a diversity of programs, designed to help promote safe, healthy and thriving families. This has proven an effective strategy in meeting the diverse needs of vulnerable families, but also in protecting women and children, who are disproportionately endangered by violence and displacement.
World Reliefâs family strengthening approach in Jordan, for example, includes the following programs, which all use uniquely designed curricula developed together with the affected community:
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Child Friendly Spaces: World Relief provides designated safe spaces where displaced children can come to play, learn and recover some of the essential developmental activities of childhood, with the support of trained facilitators. Sessions include exercise, health, school skills and life-skills.
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Literacy Support: The diverse and significant barriers that children and adults face when they flee their homes as refugees contribute to significant literacy gaps, poor motivation, and an increased risk of negative coping mechanisms. Recognizing this threat, World Relief provides Arabic and English literacy support to illiterate adults and children who are struggling to keep up in school.
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Girlsâ Empowerment through Sports: In partnership with the Ministry of Education, this program provides vulnerable Jordanian and Syrian girls with access to sports. Teachers in local schools are equipped to be coaches and provide practical soccer skills as well as life-skills training to girls in the program.
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Caregiver Support Groups: Psychosocial counseling and support groups are made available to displaced women, particularly focused on mothers or caregivers.
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Positive Parenting: Our parenting group uses a curriculum that promotes positive parenting skills to promote healthy and supportive family environments. This curriculum is designed for use with both men and women, emphasizing the need for men to also engage in positive parenting.
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Marriage Strengthening: Refugee couples often face significant marital challenges catalyzed by the extreme pressure and trauma of displacement. Early marriages as well as sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) still exists in many places. World Relief has therefore developed a curricula for men and women on important marriage topics, and is piloting this with both men and women. This is often the first time men are learning and listening to the womenâs perspective on important family related topics.
We are so encouraged to see how our staff and volunteers are leading these programs and seeing transformation take place in individuals, within families, and in entire communities. While the needs are many, we have great hope when we see the resolve and commitment of the communities we serve. Healthy families create healthy communities, which in turn form nations. We continue to believe in restoration, healing and thriving futures for families and communities across the Middle East!
Maggie Konstanski has been a part of the World Relief team for over 4 years, and currently serves at the Middle East Programs Technical and Operations Coordinator. With a passion for international human rights, Maggie often uses work-related travel as a platform to tell the powerful stories of the vulnerable families and communities we serve.
He is Still Good
Itâs been over a full year since the first Executive Order that began a time of chaos and reductions in the refugee program â and kicked off a wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. We have talked a lot over this last year about the struggles, and we know they continue. But I donât want to just focus on loss, because as weâve been taught, that is not the whole story.
Like many of you, I have prayed intensely in this last year for God to use His power in changing our circumstances, and I continue in those prayers. Some of the things for which Iâve cried to God have not been granted yet, and sometimes my heart hurts because of it. In those times I have reminded myself of a simple phrase: And if not, he is still good.
He is good. And I am learning to go to Him in true gratitude for His goodness. But while things donât always go as I wish, He has provided every staff member of World Relief, and through all of you, ample evidence that He is still good and that He is blessing and affirming the work he has called us to do:
- 3 new office directors joined World Relief last January â Chitra in Seattle, Mark in Spokane and Kerry in Upstate SC â showing amazing faith in spite of circumstances.
- God allowed us to welcome 7,565 refugees and SIVs, who have fled some of the most violent conflicts in our world, to a place of safety and opportunity
- We were able to serve 7,955 participants in other refugee programs
- 10,723 immigrants got quality, low-cost legal services and were able to receive the rights of law
- 4,948 other immigrants, beyond our work with refugees, were served throughout offices to find stability and to be helped on the journey toward integration
- We were instrumental in filing 2,565 citizenship applications that will give a permanent belonging to immigrants, many of whom have no other home
- We educated 731 people about human trafficking and how they can help stop slavery
- 23 former slaves were directly served in our programs to enter a new life free of their oppression
- We processed some 6,500 new volunteer applications, a record number, and prepared this army of volunteers to love our immigrant neighbors
- We provided education or training in 523 churches, calling Godâs people to welcome the stranger
- 314 church teams were formed and launched to deeply love and care for immigrant families
- As we invest in the future, we had 189 individuals attended 40-hour immigration training to prepare to represent immigrants and advocate for their rights
- In addition to our network of U.S. offices, we supported 52 church-based ILS programs as we empower the church to serve more deeply
In preparing these numbers for our upcoming annual report, we can say that despite all of the negative we have seen this year, God has worked through World Reliefâs U.S. Ministries in the lives of:
- 31,900 Direct Beneficiaries
- 48,900 Indirect Beneficiaries (family members, congregants, community members, etc.)
Numbers are impressive, but we should not see these as numbers but lives â people with hopes and dreams, people made in the image of God and people God loved enough to leave the glories of heaven and come to this broken world to show how much He loves them.
And, His love is such that as the Good Shepherd, He reminds us that He would do it all for just one of us.
He is still good!
Prior to becoming the SVP of U.S. Ministries, Emily Gray served for six years as the Executive Director of World Reliefâs offices in DuPage County and Aurora, Illinois. She is a former full-time missionary to Central America and is a founding member of Mission Lazarus, also serving on Mission Lazarusâ board for 15 years. Emily is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, earning a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Abilene Christian University, a Master of Social Work from Boston University, and has completed doctoral hours at the University of Texas at Arlington. She has been married for 30 years to Cary, a Computer Scientist, teacher and scholar of Christian hymns.
Will America Stand Again With the Worldâs Refugees?
January 27, 2018 marked the one year anniversary of the refugee travel ban. Hashim, Mariam and their children (pictured) arrived before the ban took effect. But in the past year, families like theirs all over the world have been stranded. Now, World Relief’s Matthew Soerens asks in a New York Times editorial piece, “Will America Stand Again With the Worldâs Refugees?”
Love Bears All Things
This is Fatima, a 30-year-old Afghan woman and a mother of four. On the first day of World Relief Seattleâs inaugural Womenâs Sewing Class, Fatima clutched her pencil and laboriously copied her name on a pre-test. She had gotten her children ready for school, walked nearly a mile to the bus stop and arrived at her first official classâEVER.
The Formation of The Sewing Program
In 2016, World Relief conducted a focus group with recently-arrived Afghan families in Seattle, WA. In it, we discovered that while many of the Afghan men are well-educated and fluent in English, most of the women, like Fatima, are pre-literate, meaning they cannot read or write in their own language. In Afghanistan, where women are culturally bound to stay at home surrounded by friends and family, this presents few issues. Isolated and alone in a new nation, and unable to communicate with others, however, this tradition was hugely damaging to these newly arrived women who were clearly suffering, and in some cases even struggling with depression.
Husbands in the focus group identified this isolation as an insurmountable challenge and sadness, and wanted an opportunity for their wives to participate in activities with other women. As we brainstormed solutions together, the group raised the idea of sewing. As we talked through the potential of a vocational ESL and skill-building sewing program, we realized that not only would it give the women the opportunity to learn new skills that are prized culturally, but that it could also pave the way for them to learn English and join together in community with other refugee women, supported by one another.
The barriers to developing a sewing program however, seemed insurmountable. Where would we find volunteer teachers, sewing machines and adequate space to provide a sewing class for this especially vulnerable group of women? How would we address the issues of transportation and childcare?
Enter Jeanine Boyle.
Jeanine attends Hillside Church, a partner of World Relief Seattle, and is also a national educator for the Singer Sewing Machine company. Three years earlier, Jeanine had felt strongly about starting a sewing class for women. She asked her company for some donations and received ten sewing machines for her class at a local non-profit, yet sadly the logistical issues did not work out. Consequently, Jeanine had 10 machines sitting in her garage.
With the help of Hillside Church and other volunteers, we cleared out space at the church that could be used for a sewing classroom, with an adjoining room for childcare. Two retired members of the church with carpentry experience helped to build four beautifully designed cutting tables, saving several thousand dollars. Our English (ELS) teachers at World Relief helped design the English portions of the class. And Jeanine, with her vast sewing education experience, developed a sewing curriculum. Volunteers came from churches all over, and in February 2017 we enrolled our first cohort of students.
For many of the volunteers this would be the first time they had ever interacted with refugee women, especially Muslim women. Even Jeanine herself had deep reservations about this new experience.
âMy life did not include any contact with anyone of the Muslim faith. I had a lot of apprehensions about starting this whole journey. I had a fear of what I did not know. But teaching this class has been a life changing experience. I love these women.â
For highly skilled volunteers like Jeanine, this service is a sacrificial labor of love. Jeanine owns an interior design business and has to juggle her extremely busy business schedule to spend time teaching and preparing for the sewing classes. Yet Jeanine is motivated by love, and by her desire to help bear the burdens of these women, coming alongside them in support.
Debra Voelker, Missions Director at Hillside Church, also volunteers by managing the day-to-day operational details of the class. Debra drives over an hour to volunteer each week.
Like Jeanine, Debra realizes the burden these women face and seeks to ease it through love. She drives long distances and coordinates the many time consuming details each week in a tireless effort to foster and preserve the gift of life-giving relationships for these women.
âIâve realized that women are women – wherever they are from. Our life circumstances are vastly different, but we have the same concerns â wanting to create a loving home for our families, wanting to provide for our kids, the joy of being in a safe community, and sharing with like-minded women,â Debra says.
Mutual Transformation
The impact of our sewing program has been transformative. Many of the volunteers, including both Jeanine and Debra, have been invited into the homes of the participants and have reciprocated in kind. The sharing of food and friendship outside of class has formed lasting bonds. It has been a beautiful and mutually transformative journey for all the women involved.
Several weeks ago, I ran into Fatima at the local grocery store. She called out my name and we enthusiastically greeted each other in the bulk section. She asked about my children, my husband and my health. We compared our carts and asked each other what we were going to cook. We hugged goodbye and I got a little teary eyed as I reflected on the power of a simple conversation, which wouldnât have been possible even five months before without the investment of amazing volunteers like Jeanine and Debra.
Yet our sewing program is just one example. Whether it be in the classrooms of Hillside Church, in local community gardens, in hospital waiting rooms, in social security lines, or simply in our living rooms at home, the loving relationships between our volunteers and newly arrived refugees and immigrants has been a joy to witness.
Jeanine and Debraâs story is one of so many, and itâs hard to put their dedication and sacrifice into words. We have volunteers who have sacrificed friendships and even jobs as theyâve embraced Godâs call to welcome the stranger, put their love into action, and lighten the burden of others. Oftentimes they are fearful. Oftentimes they are reluctant. Oftentimes it just seems too difficult. Yet they listen, they trust, and the fruits are transformative not only for those they serve, but also for them. It is an example that inspires, and one that should encourage each one of us as we think about how we might continue to live lives of love in the year ahead.
âBear one anotherâs burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.â â Galatians 6:2
Through the end of the year, we’ll be featuring stories of individuals and communities putting Love in Actionâbringing hope to the hurting and shining light in the darkest hours.
Learn more and put your Love in Action today.
Tahmina Martelly serves at the Programs Manager for World Relief Seattle. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tahmina lived in Yemen before arriving at a farm in Idaho. A registered dietitian by education, Tahmina has worked with refugee and immigrant resiliency projects for the last 25 years. Most recently, she taught at the University of Utah, division of Nutrition and developed and taught computer literacy classes at the Utah Refugee Education Center. Tahmina has been with World Relief Seattle since 2017 overseeing the new resiliency project multiplier and managing state-funded employment and case management programs.
Fact vs. Fiction â 10 Things You Need to Know about the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions
Reports from multiple news sources have confirmed that the Trump administration is poised to set 2018 refugee admissions levels at 45,000âthe lowest in the nationâs history. Hereâs what the administration has said in its report to Congress to justify these historically low numbers, at a historically high time of need, and the facts you should know:
FICTION #1:
There is no way to securely vet all refugees who come to the U.S.
FACT: The integrity of security procedures in the U.S. resettlement program is evidenced by the fact that, while over 3 million refugees have been admitted to the U.S. since 1980, not a single refugee has committed a lethal terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
FICTION #2:
Refugees are a security risk as demonstrated by the fact that the FBI is investigating 300 refugees for connections to terrorism.
FACT: 300 refugees is an immensely small fraction of resettled refugees in the U.S. and is not representative of the population writ large. According to CATO, 300 refugees represents less than 0.009 percent of all refugees admitted to the U.S. since 1975. It is a far cry from a statistically significant portion of the refugee population and should not have any bearing on our understanding of the resettled refugee population. Even if those 300 refugees were resettled to the U.S. in a single year, they would represent less than 1% of the total number of refugees accepted on average per year since 1980. [1]
Refugees are not terror threats; they are fleeing terror. Refugees are civilians who have fled their country due to fear of persecution or violence. By definition, refugees have not engaged in violence, persecution of others, or serious criminality. Persons believed to have engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or serious non-political crimes are disqualified from refugee status.
FICTION #3:
It is more cost-effective to help refugees in the region, in their first countries of asylum*.
FACT: Refugee resettlement in the U.S. is a solution with one-time, up-front costs that ultimately result in net fiscal gain to the U.S. as refugees become taxpayers. [2] Resettlement requires a short-term investment, but allows refugees to become full-fledged members of our society and economy, providing the refugee with a path to self-sufficiency and benefiting the American economy.
In 2016, over 72 percent of refugees resettled to the U.S. were women and children. [3] Many are single mothers, survivors of torture, or in need of urgent medical treatment. Women and girls are subject to heinous forms of persecution in wartime (such as gang rape) and suffer severe trauma that cannot be addressed in camps or difficult urban environments. Survivors of rape are often ostracized in their host countries, making them priorities for resettlement. For these women, resettlement is the only solution. No amount of aid in their host country could guarantee their safety and psychosocial recovery.
FICTION #4:
12 refugees can be helped in the region for every one refugee resettled to the U.S.
FACT: The comparison of one-time costs associated with resettlement with the long-term costs of assisting refugees for many years on end is not a reasonable one.
Refugees spend an average of 10 years displaced outside their countries of origin. For those refugees displaced for more than five years, the average soars to an astonishing 21 years. Refugees in these protracted situations require assistance over many, many years.
In stark contrast to the 21 years that some refugees spend in host countries dependent on temporary assistance, over the same period, resettled refugees rebuild their lives and contribute $21,000 more to the American economy than they receive in benefits.
FICTION #5:
The aim of U.S. refugee policy is for refugees to return home.
FACT: Of the worldâs 22.5 million refugees, less than 1% have access to resettlement. In 2018, 1.2 million face extreme vulnerabilities or family reunification needs for which they are in need of resettlement. Yet fewer than 200,000 resettlement slots are available annually.
Refugee resettlement of a few is necessary for the successful local integration or return of the majority of refugees. Refugee resettlement relieves pressures on host communities and contributes to overall regional stabilityâcontributing to the conditions necessary for the majority of the refugees that remain in the region to either integrate locally in their host countries or return home when it is safe to do so.
Conversely, retreating from resettlement commitments can have dramatic consequences for the eventual safe return of refugeesâprolonging and sometimes even reigniting conflict.
Today, this risk exists in the premature return of Syrian, Afghan, and Somali refugees, which could further destabilize fragile and conflict-ridden countries. Over 600,000 Afghan refugees were induced to return from Pakistan in 2016âa six-fold increase from 2015âas Afghanistan struggles with growing insecurity, instability and gains by terrorist organizations. Such premature returns come at a time when growing instability in Afghanistan has required an increase in U.S. troop levels to reverse gains by terrorist organizations.
FICTION #6:
The number of refugees resettled is of no consequence to American interests abroad.
FACT: Refugee resettlement is not just a humanitarian program and a moral choice, it is a strategic imperative that promotes regional stability and global security in some of the most challenging parts of the world. Refugee resettlement is a critical foreign policy and national security toolâalleviating pressures on critical allies, helping ensure the international community maintains its humanitarian obligations, encouraging responsibility sharing, maintaining cooperation with allies for U.S. diplomatic and intelligence operations, and sending the message to terrorist groups that the U.S. welcomes those who reject terrorist ideologies.
Maintaining resettlement commitments is critical to the effectiveness of military, diplomatic and intelligence operations abroad and the safety of U.S. troops. Tens of thousands of Iraqi and Afghan nationals have put their lives on the line to support intelligence gathering, operations planning and other essential services, especially translation. These individuals and their families are often targeted by terrorist groups as a direct result of their cooperation with Americans. Resettlement is instrumental in ensuring their safetyâa testament to the U.S. militaryâs commitment to leave no one behind.
Refugee resettlement signals support for those who seek liberty and reject ideologies antithetical to American values. Just as the U.S. offered refuge to those fleeing communist regimes during the Cold War, so too must the U.S. open its arms to those standing against terrorist ideologies, many of whom refused to join or be conscripted into terrorist groups, militias and state security forces persecuting fellow citizens.
The last thing that terrorist organizations like ISIS want is for the U.S. to be a beacon of hope, acceptance and inclusion for Muslims.
FICTION #7:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cannot safely vet more than 45K given that improved security vetting being put in place during the 120-day ban is more resource-intensive.
FACT: Even in the face of the worst terrorist attack on our nationâs soil on Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush set an admissions ceiling of 70,000 refugees and continued to do so in the years that followed. Doing so signaled that the U.S. would remain a humanitarian leader and demonstrated that the administration understood the critical role resettlement plays in supporting our allies.
The global context was also different under President Bush. The global refugee population was nearly half of what it is today (12 million in 2001 vs. 22.5 million in 2016).
FICTION #8:
Refugees are too costly; they are a drain on local economies and take jobs away from Americans.
FACT: All evidence points to the fact that refugees benefit local economies and fill empty jobs in the workforce.
A July 2017 report by the Department of Health and Human Services, commissioned by the Trump Administration, found that over the past decade refugees have contributed $63 billion more in government revenues over the past decade than they cost. [4]
FICTION #9:
Even with an admissions ceiling of 45,000 refugees, the U.S. will remain the world leader in refugee resettlement.
FACT: The average annual admissions ceiling since 1980 has exceeded 95,000. A refugee admissions ceiling of 45,000âthe lowest level ever setâis a drastic departure from historic tradition, signaling a retreat in leadership on the world stage. Presidents from both parties in the past two decades have set robust refugee ceilings as a proud humanitarian tradition of welcome.
Last year, Canada resettled 46,000 refugees, more than the new cap. Canada is roughly one-tenth the size of the US population and economy (smaller, in both regards, than the single U.S. state of California)
FICTION #10:
Refugees are imposed upon unwilling and overburdened communities who wish to care for their own people first and foremost, not the foreign born.
FACT:. The private sector, faith institutions and local communities are all deeply invested and involved in welcoming refugees and helping them achieve successful integration in their new homes. They do so with a commitment and desire to reflect the values of America, and build better, stronger, more vibrant communities here in the U.S.
Communities are enrichedâspiritually, socially, and economicallyâthrough diversity. Immigrants and refugees have enriched our nation, our community and our churches for generations through the unique cultures and traditions they bring. Hundreds of employers around the country work closely with resettlement agencies to systematically hire refugees (mainly in the manufacturing, hotel and food industries) in many industries that native-born Americans will not work in. Employers look to hire refugees because they find refugees to be among their most stable, reliable employees.
Thousands of volunteers and members of congregations donate tens of thousands of hours and in-kind contributions each year to support refugees, lowering costs to the federal government. Community members donate household items to help furnish a refugee familyâs first apartment, teach financial literacy and cultural orientation classes, help new arrivals prepare for job interviews, mentor refugee families to help them adapt to the American way of life, and much more.
* UNHCR says “The âfirst country of asylumâ concept is to be applied in cases where a person has already, in a previous state, found international protection, that is once again accessible and effective for the individual concerned.”
[1] âTrumpâs claim that âmore than 300â refugees are subjects of counterterrorism investigations,â Washington Post, March 2017
[2] âThese researchers just debunked an all-too-common belief about refugees,â Washington Post, June 2017
[3] âFact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2016 Refugee Admissions,â U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration January 2017.
[4] âRejected Report Shows Revenue Brought In by Refugees,â New York Times, September 2017
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