World Relief Minnesota

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar recently released a report urging the Administration to better match federal resources with refugee admissions so that the costs associated with operating the U.S. resettlement program do not unfairly burden local communities.

 The report, “Abandoned Upon Arrival: Implications for refugees and local communities burdened by a resettlement system that is not working,” highlights the significant challenges local communities in Indiana and across the country are confronting as a result of a U.S. resettlement program that is under-funded and over-stretched. While offering safe-haven to refugees who face persecution should remain a humanitarian imperative for our nation, we must acknowledge the significant costs associated with this activity and find an appropriate policy remedy at the federal level,” Lugar said. “I urge the Administrations to reform the U.S. resettlement program so that it continues to be perceived as a benefit to local communities, not a burden.”

This press release suggests that refugees can be perceived asa burden on the resources of local communities.  Is this perception accurate?

How can we change the perception to one that says “refugees are a benefit to the local community?”  I think part of the answer is related to how we view the role of the public domain (local and state governments) in the care of vulnerable populations.  Is it the sole responsibility of government to provide services?  From a biblical perspective, the Church has a role in caring for downtrodden and the poor. Members of faith communities can reflect the grace and compassion of God to these persecuted peoples from around the world. Beyond that, through relationships, we can bridge the gap between social service programs and self-sufficiency and integration. Talk with refugees that have been befriended and mentored by Americans and you’ll hear stories of gratitude, gradual assimilation, and the realization that refugees themselves have a place in our culture.

World Relief has seen local churches come along side refugee families in communities throughout the United States. Often long-term relationships are formed that benefit both the refugee family and the church.