Washington, D.C.—CWS today praised President Biden’s decision to welcome one hundred thousand Ukrainians, as escalation of hostilities have forced more than 3 million refugees to flee Ukraine. The move—which comes amid the worst refugee crisis in global history with more than 31 million refugees worldwide—is a life-saving step toward protection and is in the spirit of welcome that has long been a core value of the United States. The organization further urged this effort to include foreign nationals displaced to Ukraine, whose futures remain in question.
While CWS applauds today’s decision, the organization calls on President Biden to extend similar protections to other refugees around the globe impacted by violence and persecution, including those who have fled their homes in Cameroon, Ethiopia and Mauritania, among others. CWS stresses the need to fulfill our promises to at-risk Afghans who have been left behind in Afghanistan and other host countries, to strengthen the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to live out our promise to protect the most vulnerable, and to ensure we swiftly facilitate family reunifications for all refugee nationalities.
“A moral humanitarian response calls for life-saving protections, including U.S. resettlement, for particularly vulnerable refugees impacted by the hostilities in Ukraine. Over three million refugees have fled their homes in Ukraine—including foreign nationals who sought lives free from fear within its borders—and while we seek to end the violence and pray for peace in the region, offering a lifeline is paramount,” said Meredith Owen, Director of Policy and Advocacy at CWS. “This decision will impact generations of Ukrainians to come, and communities across the nation will welcome them with open arms. But the people of Kyiv, Lviv and Mariupol are not alone, there are more than 31 million refugees from around the world seeking the same protections. President Biden must prioritize rebuilding the U.S. Refugee Admission Program so all those fleeing violence and persecution can build the futures they deserve.”
CWS released a list of recommendations to the Biden administration in order to rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admission Program, a historic initiative undermined over recent years through underfunding, staff shortages, and bureaucratic delays and backlogs.
For over a decade CWS has welcomed Ukrainian refugees to the United States as part of our efforts to address the global refugee crisis, in which over 84.6 million people are displaced. As one of nine U.S. resettlement agencies, CWS continues to fight for a robust system through which the world’s most vulnerable—whether from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Tigray, Syria, Burma or beyond—can access pathways to rebuild their lives in peace.
For more information or to speak with Owen, contact media@cwsglobal.org.