Ahead of World Refugee Day, the United Nations’ refugee agency announced the greatest number of forcibly displaced people ever recorded.
The UNHCR Global Trends report shows 108.4 million people at the end of 2022 were forcibly displaced worldwide, but recent fighting, especially in Sudan, has pushed the global total to an estimated 110 million as of May 2023.
Putting down roots in a welcoming community is vital to refugees’ long-term success in the United States. To facilitate this, HIAS resettlement partner Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services has developed a community garden where clients can gather to cultivate foods used in their native cuisines.
In a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement on Tuesday, HIAS President and CEO Mark Hetfield said that comprehensive immigration reform is the only way to respect the rights of asylum seekers by creating safe, orderly and humane processes, while also meeting demands for border security.
In preparation for May 11, when the Biden Administration will finally end the Trump administration’s policy of expelling asylum seekers under the pretext of a public health measure known as Title 42, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State today announced what they described as “regional migration management measures.”
Last April, Eduard Levit and his family had just arrived in Warsaw, Poland, having fled their hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine for their safety. One year later, they are celebrating their first Passover in their new home of Portland, Oregon, after being resettled by the ShalomPortland Welcome Circle.
Leaders of the Jewish community and guests gathered to celebrate the coming together of HIAS and JCORE (the Jewish Council for Racial Equality) to form a new entity which will lead the Jewish response on issues of asylum, refugees, and racial equality in the United Kingdom.
At least 39 people died and dozens were injured Monday night in a fire at the National Migration Institute in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, an area where HIAS is active in assisting asylum seekers.
The number of HIAS Welcome Circles in the United States has just reached 100. And there are more to come.
HIAS Welcome Circles are part of the private sponsorship model that allows for groups of individuals to independently raise funds and directly provide essential assistance to refugees.
In the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, St. Louisans from three faith communities came together to welcome a family of evacuees and help them get settled in the United States.
Over 450 communities and nearly 500 individuals across five continents heeded the call to dedicate a Shabbat to affirming their support for refugees and other displaced people.
