How can you speak out in support of funding for refugee protection & welcome?

1. LEARN how money allocated by Congress assists refugees abroad and in our communities through resettlement
2. JOIN with advocates next week in the Stand With Refugees campaign to call your member of Congress to say “I welcome refugees!” Text “STAND” to 313131 or visit the Stand With Refugees webpage to join 

This summer, Congress is developing a federal budget for fiscal year 2018, beginning on October 1. One critical piece of the budget is funding for programs that provide for refugee protection, assistance, and resettlement. During the worst human displacement crisis in history, the time is now to urge Congress to allocate funds to assist the most vulnerable displaced persons and to support increasing refugee resettlement admissions to at least 75,000 refugees.

Funding from the federal budget allows the U.S. to provide necessities such as clean water and safe shelter in humanitarian situations around the world; the funding also can help the international community and allies who are hosting millions of refugees and displaced persons.

Out of the 65 million displaced people worldwide, over 21 million are refugees. Refugees who are unable to return home or stay in the country into which they fled are eligible for resettlement. Federal budget funding allows the U.S. to conduct security screening and processing for resettlement and provide assistance to help refugees transition to building a new life. This funding is aimed at assisting recently resettled refugees in finding employment, learning about their new community, receiving medical attention, learning English, and more, allowing them to quickly become self-sufficient and integrate into their new communities.