21 JUN 2022

Immigration Hub Statement for World Refugee Day

WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, leaders and communities commemorated World Refugee Day, recognizing the contributions, perseverance and humanity of refugees from across the world. Throughout the globe, more than 100 million people are now displaced from their homes—one in every 78 people. The fall of Kabul, war in Ukraine, conflicts in Cameroon, Mali, and Ethiopia, and violence, persecution, and natural disasters in the Western Hemisphere are forcing a record number of people to flee their homes. 

While the lives of many refugees remain in limbo, in the U.S, refugees help energize the national economy and local communities, pouring billions into the country’s economic growth. In fact, according to Michael Clemens, an economist at the Center for Global Development, the reduction of refugees resettled into the U.S. has “cost the overall U.S. economy over $9.1 billion each year ($30,962 per missing refugee per year, on average) and cost public coffers at all levels of government over $2.0 billion each year ($6,844 per missing refugee per year, on average).”

Sergio Gonzales, Executive Director of the Immigration Hub said: “World Refugee Day should remind all Americans and our leaders of the essential contributions and role of refugees in our country. This day was designated to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their homes and find a new place to call home where they have an opportunity to thrive alongside their families and communities.

“Today, anti-democratic leaders across the globe, including the GOP here at home, are whipping up anti-immigrant sentiment for their political ambitions and shutting the door to refugees. In the U.S, the Trump administration callously undermined our refugee resettlement program, which, in the decades after World War II, developed into a high-functioning and successful public-private partnership. Agencies, organizations, and community members worked together to help people who fled deadly situations start over in the United States. Trump and Stephen Miller, destroyed this program, blocking refugee arrivals by 86 percent. 

“President Biden committed and delivered on many of his promises to roll back the countless cruel and inhumane policies of the past administration that walled off our nation, including increasing the cap to 125,000 refugees in FY 2022. And while the administration has made notable progress to rebuild our immigration system, under 9,000 people have come through the resettlement program this fiscal year. 

“The Biden administration should immediately and dramatically increase staffing and resources for refugee resettlement in the last three months of FY 2022. The refugee resettlement program brings new life, innovation, and vitality to our communities and economy. From Cleveland to Philadelphia, the American people are ready to do their part to help refugees settle into their new homes. It’s this kind of courage and strength of both refugees and the American family that make our whole nation stronger. The government needs to step up and propel this program forward.” 

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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.