Washington, D.C.—CWS today welcomed the passage of legislation providing supplemental aid to Ukraine, which provides more than five billion dollars in humanitarian assistance to the country and its neighbors impacted by ongoing hostilities, as well as support for Ukrainians taking refuge in our communities. Importantly, this legislation authorizes limited resettlement benefits to certain individuals fleeing Ukraine who are paroled into the United States, such as through the Uniting for Ukraine program. CWS is disturbed, however, that Congress excluded their access to the full spectrum of resettlement services, as well as vital protections for Afghan refugees through an Afghan Adjustment Act.
“Aid to Ukraine is vital, not only to help with the worsening humanitarian crisis, but also for those who have been forced from their homes. For the Ukrainians, and foreign nationals who called Ukraine home, whom we now call our neighbors, they will have a better chance to integrate and thrive in their new homes,” said Meredith Owen, Director for Policy and Advocacy at CWS. “However, the displacement from this conflict should not be met with half-measures; the U.S. refugee admissions program would provide a far more certain path forward for those fleeing the horrors of war, with better access to needed support as they rebuild their lives and a clearer road to long-term stability. It’s equally disturbing that Congress also didn’t take the extra step to provide such certainty to another group of vulnerable refugees—those fleeing the Taliban. By not including the Afghan Adjustment Act, today’s legislation is a missed opportunity to send a strong message to Afghans who arrived via humanitarian parole, that the United States stands by those at risk, whether that be in Kabul or Kyiv.”
CWS now urges Congress to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act as part of the next must-pass legislation. CWS further calls on the Biden administration to:
- Utilize the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and immigrant pathways for displaced populations impacted by the hostilities in Ukraine, including both Ukrainians and third country nationals, in addition to any plan for parole;
- Boldly rebuild the U.S. resettlement program to resettle refugees languishing in precarious situations like at-risk Afghans, Eritreans, Syrians, Cameroonians, Rohingya, Ethiopians, among others; and
- Create a designated parole program for Afghans — and continue relocating at-risk Afghans who are left behind.
For more information or to speak with Owen, contact media@cwsglobal.org.