Bethany Christian Services on the Biden Administration Maintaining Historically Low Refugee Resettlement Ceiling: “This is a Travesty”
April 16, 2021
Grand Rapids, MI– Bethany Christian Services released the following statement after President Biden announced the U.S. will maintain the historically low refugee resettlement ceiling of 15,000 for Fiscal Year 2021:
“Over the last half-decade, the U.S. government turned away from its history of compassion and global leadership on behalf of the most vulnerable by dismantling the refugee resettlement program. President Biden promised to change that by resettling 62,500 refugees in FY 2021. The Biden Administration’s decision to flip-flop and continue harmful policies is a travesty,” said Chris Palusky, the president and CEO of Bethany Christian Services. “We are witnessing the worst refugee crisis in recorded history, so President Biden’s promise to reinvigorate the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program was received with joy and a sense of relief. Today’s decision to walk away from those promises should be met with sorrow and deep disappointment. The United States has the capacity and resources to support and rebuild a robust resettlement program.”
More than 1 in 97 people around the world are displaced from their homes. Many who have spent years in refugee camps around the world were given the promise of resettlement, only to have their flights cancelled and their hope of safety and refuge set back once more. In March 2021 alone, over 700 flights for refugees were cancelled.
“Bethany Christian Services demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus to vulnerable children and families,” Palusky continued. “Jesus teaches Christians to care for the overlooked and the ignored, love our neighbor, and welcome the stranger. Refugees are the neighbors we are called to serve, and there is a large community of Christian churches and nonprofits who are ready, willing, and eager to live out this biblical call to restore welcome to the thousands of refugees who have been promised protection.”
The delayed signing of the presidential determination for refugee resettlement and the continuation of a refugee ceiling set at 15,000 further complicates the extensive screening process refugees undergo as part of the resettlement program and delays the reunification of hundreds of families.
We pray that the Biden Administration and Congress will revisit this decision in light of the dire circumstances of thousands of refugees around the globe who have been persecuted for their faith, forced from their homes, subjected to violence, and denied their basic human rights.
About Bethany Bethany is an international Christian nonprofit changing the world through family. Around 75 years ago, we began our work by serving one child. Today, we partner with churches and communities in more than 30 states and nearly a dozen countries to strengthen and preserve families, support refugees and immigrants fleeing danger, and find safe, loving families for children who need them. Bethany demonstrates the love and compassion of Jesus, impacting hundreds of thousands of lives every year, because we believe everyone deserves to be safe, loved, and connected.
