In response to the Biden Administration’s announcement March 24 that the U.S. will admit 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia, Episcopal Migration Ministries said it will help welcome and assist those refugees and others.
“Another brutal conflict has caused much suffering in Ukraine and an exodus of families seeking safety in neighboring countries,” said Demetrio Alvero, operations director for Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM). “With this welcome announcement today that the United States government will assist in the resettlement of 100,000 Ukrainians, EMM will do its part, as it has for various persecuted refugees from across the world, to welcome them with the assistance of our partners, congregations, and community groups.”
In addition to helping Ukrainians and Russians through a range of legal pathways, including the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, the U.S. will provide more than $1 billion toward humanitarian assistance to support people within Ukraine and assist those affected by the impact of Russia’s war.
Episcopal Migration Ministries has welcomed and resettled more than 100,000 refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program since the 1980s. In 2021, EMM welcomed individuals from 24 countries to 12 communities across the U.S. Since 2014, EMM has assisted 420 Ukrainians under the Lautenberg program as refugees to the U.S. The Lautenberg Program, which initially began in 1990 to resettle Jews from the former Soviet Union, is a family reunification program that allows certain individuals to bring their family members to the U.S. through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
“Episcopal Migration Ministries continues to offer a ministry of welcome through refugee resettlement and the Neighbor to Neighbor program,” said the Rev. Chuck Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop for Ministry Beyond The Episcopal Church. “Since the 1930s, The Episcopal Church has responded faithfully to God’s call to offer compassion and support to the most vulnerable among us. It is our shared faith and ministry, and the support of volunteers and donors, that will allow us to continue resettling vulnerable populations, assist arriving Afghans, and respond to the crisis in Ukraine.”
Episcopal Migration Ministries is a ministry of The Episcopal Church and one of nine national agencies responsible for resettling refugees in the U.S. in partnership with the government. EMM has 11 affiliate offices in nine states. In addition to its longstanding work in refugee resettlement, EMM is The Episcopal Church’s convening place for collaboration, education, and information-sharing on migration.
Learn more: Those interested in learning more about EMM’s work can find information and resources at episcopalmigrationministries.org. Sign up for the EMM newsletter or Weekly News Digest here.
To give: To directly support EMM in its work with Ukrainian refugees, visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give, or text “EMM” to 41444 (standard messaging and data may rates apply). Make a note for your donation to support Ukrainian refugees. To donate by mail, send checks to DFMS-Protestant Episcopal Church US; P.O. Box 958983; St. Louis, MO 63195-8983 (include Episcopal Migration Ministries – Ukraine in the memo line).