Media Conference Call on U.S. Refugee Resettlement Crisis on Monday June 18

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Jun 13, 2018, 06:00 ET


WASHINGTON (PRWEB) June 13, 2018 -- In just 17 months, the current administration has systematically begun to dismantle the private-public partnership established in 1980 for resettling refugees. Since the Refugee Act of 1980 went into effect, every president including Ronald Reagan has upheld the basic principle that the United States welcomes refugees. If current trends continue, refugee resettlement in the United States will effectively end, and it will likely take years for our nation to restore the process that has been built and strengthened over four decades.

Ahead of World Refugee Day, three agencies involved in resettling thousands of refugees each year in communities across the country will hold a national media conference call on Monday, June 18 at 11:00am EST to discuss the short and long-term impacts of the Trump administration’s slowdown of refugee admissions to the United States.

National and local representatives from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), and HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit involved in refugee resettlement, will detail how dramatic reductions in refugee admissions are threatening to unravel a national network of community support for refugees and leave thousands of innocent men, women, and children in limbo.

In addition, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) will address the slowdown of admissions of Afghan and Iraqi allies who have supported military and diplomatic personnel and warrant U.S. protection under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program.

WHO:

• Melanie Nezer, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs, HIAS
• Kay Bellor, Vice President for Programs, LIRS
• Marsha Hirsch, Exec Director, Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency, Charlotte, N.C.
• Local refugee coordinator (TBA)
• Adam Bates, Policy Counsel, International Refugee Assistance Project

WHAT: Media call on the impact of the drastic slowdown in refugee admissions

WHEN: Monday, June 18, at 11:00am EST

HOW TO JOIN: Contact Mike Kiernan at mkiernan.media(at)gmail.com by Friday noon to receive a call-in number and password so you can join the audio conference call on Monday.

The Peace Corps Community for Refugees, a volunteer group of more than 400 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, has provided support for this teleconference. Go to: http://www.pcc4refugees.org

Mike Kiernan, 12024127579, [email protected]