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
Following Election Results, CWS Reaffirms Commitment to Immigrant and Refugee Neighbors, Vulnerable Families Worldwide
Contact: media@cwsglobal.org Following Election Results, CWS Reaffirms Commitment to Immigrant and Refugee Neighbors, Vulnerable Families Worldwide Washington, D.C.– In response to the news that Donald Trump has been elected for another term to the office of President of the United States, Church World Service President and CEO Rick Santos issued the following statement: “As we prepare to usher in a …
CWS Launches new office in Ukraine, to Aid Internally Displaced and provide Life-Saving Services to the Elderly and the Impoverished
Odesa, Ukraine—Church World Service today proudly announced the launch of a new office in Odesa, Ukraine to aid in support of internally displaced Ukrainians, those returning back to their country, and the proud network of community support in the Odesa Oblast. The organization will operate under the name CWS Ukraine in tandem with its program and office in Moldova. As …
From 3,000 Miles to a Three-Mile CROP Hunger Walk
About two years ago, Celine Woznica, who had spent 40 years of her life working in public health, began to have an inescapable feeling that she needed to support the migrants arriving at the border. As someone who had lived in Mexico for six years and was fluent in Spanish, she considered leaving Chicago to apply her skills and knowledge …