Catholic Charities USA Urges President Bush to Assist More Refugees

Catholic Charities USA
Tuesday, 1 October 2002

Concerned that only 23,497 refugees have been admitted to the United States this year, Catholic Charities USA is calling on President George W. Bush to reaffirm his commitment to protecting refugees by increasing the number of refugees allowed to enter the country to 115,00 for fiscal year 2003.

Projections are that fewer than 30,000 refugees will actually arrive by the end of the 2002 fiscal year, which is Sept. 30. That is less than 43 percent of the 70,000 refugees the president had authorized to enter.
"As you know, refugees are some of the most vulnerable people in the world, often fleeing death and persecution in their own country. Such a richly blessed nation as the United States can and must do its part in welcoming these strangers and providing them refuge. It is what God calls us to do," wrote Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, president of Catholic Charities USA, in a letter to President Bush.

Such an increase would make up for the drastically reduced numbers of refugees allowed to enter the country this fiscal year and allow for the additional 5,000 admissions that the president had promised to include in each fiscal year.

Catholic Charities agencies across the country resettle nearly one-quarter of all refugees admitted to the U.S. each year. In 2001 the Catholic Church—mostly through Catholic Charities agencies—resettled 13,834 refugees and 3,844 Cuban and Haitian parolees. Local Catholic Charities agencies help with family reunification and offer education, legal, and employment services and language classes.

Despite promising in early 2001 to increase the number of refugee admissions by 5,000 each fiscal year, President Bush now appears to be leaning towards freezing the authorization level at 70,000 refugee admissions for fiscal year 2003, which begins on Oct. 1.

Secretary of State Colin Powell will be soon holding congressional consultations, and the White House is expected to announce the final refugee admissions determination in early October.

For more information, or to contact Catholic Charities USA, see their website at: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org