Biden administration announces new program to allow citizens to sponsor refugees

Thursday’s announcement by the Biden administration was the first step in a new program that will allow Americans to sponsor refugees. CNN reports. The new program, named the “Welcome Corps,” was called “the boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in four decades,” by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

With the support of several nonprofit organizations, groups of five can apply to sponsor refugees. The groups do not provide ongoing financial help, but they must raise a minimum of $2,275 per refugee to “provide the initial support for the refugees during their first three months in the country,” per a State Department official. Sponsors will have to submit a plan of support for refugees and will be subjected to a screening process.

This measure could help to settle more refugees who are displaced than ever before, and similar programs exist in many countries including Canada. The New York Times. “We believe that by engaging Americans in this effort, it will rebuild broad public support to the refugee resettlement programme,” stated Julieta Valls Noyes, assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

The Welcome Corps hopes that 10,000 sponsors will be found and that it will help 5,000 refugees within its first year. We hope that it will be as well-known and engaged as the Peace Corps, we said. Valls Noyes. “It’s about more than money. It’s all about commitment. It’s about community. It’s about building relationships and creating a community so that refugees have more than one person they can turn to for help and support.

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