Migration, Asylum & Refugees
Every two seconds someone in the world is forced to leave their home and everything they know. With the threat of violence, persecution or disaster knocking on their door, they make the only choice they can to find safety—they run.
In recent years fewer and fewer of the 100 million people who are forcibly displaced have access to the protection they need to rebuild their lives. Many nations that are hosting asylum seekers and refugees—including the United States at our southern border—deny them access to fundamental rights and critical services or have effectively closed their borders.
We believe every family has the right to live in safety and dignity. That is why we welcome refugees and asylum seekers with open hearts and helping hands. Faith leaders and refugee communities lift their voices to advocate for better policies, and by standing in solidarity, we are helping keep immigrant families together. Whether through the U.S. asylum system or refugee resettlement program here at home, or by aiding communities overseas, we help the vulnerable build lives free from fear.
A long and arduous process: only people seeking asylum know the pain.
They are all around us. People who are seeking asylum breathe, eat and make plans like we all do. They are only different because they have been forced to make the difficult choice of leaving their beloved homes and neighborhood. There is a lot of uncertainty in seeking asylum; leaving your country for another does not mean the safety of those seeking asylum is guaranteed. Therefore, there are a lot more challenges asylum seekers face in their new lives. Yet, they stay strong, resilient and determined. They are the ones we need within us.
CWS Policy Tracker
CWS's policy tracker monitors state and federal policies that advance pro-refugee, pro-immigrant policies and neutralize harmful immigration proposals. The policy tracker supports the policy team's efforts in executing a strategic plan to advance a refugee resettlement, asylum, and immigration framework that strengthens U.S. leadership and has a positive impact on people’s lives.
A Worship Guide for Reflecting and Praying for the Displaced
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Latest Updates
Church World Service Strongly Condemns Plan to Arrest and Detain Resettled Refugees
Washington, D.C. – Church World Service unequivocally condemns the Trump administration’s most recent memo that could subject up to 100,000 resettled refugees to arrests and detention. Coming on the heels of the horrific and unlawful arrests of refugees under Operation PARRIS in Minnesota, this new guidance outlines plans for the arrest and custodial “inspection” of refugees who have lived in the U.S. …
Daily State of Play: Trump’s Indefinite Refugee Ban and Funding Halt
The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban, stop work orders and prolonged delays in reimbursement for resettlement agencies have had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of refugee families and communities across the country and around the world. Welcome to the latest edition of State of Play from Church World Service. This resource will provide regular updates from the CWS …
CWS Responds to New Operation Reopening Cases of Resettled Refugees
Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today expressed its deep concern over the Trump administration’s detaining of resettled refugees as part of a wider effort to review and potentially revoke their legal status. On January 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the launch of Operation “Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening” or “PARRIS,” targeting resettled refugees who have fled violence and …