Bethany Christian Services Statement on Proposed Humanitarian Parole Program for Ukrainian Refugees

Grand Rapids, MI- Bethany Christian Services supports the reported parole program the Biden Administration is considering to expedite the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees who already have family ties or qualify for sponsorship in the U.S.

“Bethany has a history of resettling Ukrainian refugees in the U.S., many of whom have family abroad that they desperately want to reunify with,” said Chris Palusky, Bethany’s President and CEO. “We applaud this move to provide humanitarian parole for Ukrainians, but there must be additional pathways for safe resettlement, including resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. We also advocate for those on humanitarian parole to have access to social services, and the government must invest in humanitarian programs that are equitable and accessible by all refugees.

“While the U.S. responds to the needs of Ukrainian refugees, we must also continue responding to the needs of Afghan refugees and fulfill the promise of providing safety and a path to permanency for them and other vulnerable refugees,” said Tawnya Brown, Bethany’s Senior Vice President of Global, Refugee and Immigrant Services. “The U.S. government must invest in humanitarian programs that are equitable and accessible by all refugees so vulnerable populations are not forgotten.

About Bethany Christian Services Bethany Christian Services is a global nonprofit that supports children and families with world-class social services, all designed to help families thrive. Over 75 years ago, we began our work by serving a single child. Today, we work in more than 30 states and around the world, impacting hundreds of thousands of lives every year.