Refugee & Immigration Ministries

More about Refugee Resettlement

Who is a Refugee?

There are millions of refugees in the world who, like baby Jesus, need the opportunity to live in a safe and secure place. However, there are only a few countries in the world that have refugee resettlement programs. The United States is one of those countries, but it obviously cannot resettle all the millions of refugees in the world. Therefore, the U.S. government determines which refugees can be admitted into the United States for resettlement, based on the U.S. definition of a refugee and the U.S. Preference System.

For Information About the Refugee Definition and Preference System see the Refugee Section of "Immigration Categories (PDF document)."

Watch a Church World Service video clip about refugees.

How Do They Get Here?

Once a refugee has been accepted for resettlement by the U.S. government, his/her case is given to one of the U.S. resettlement agencies which is responsible for providing for the needs of the refugee upon arrival. The agency the Disciples work through is the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program (CWS/IRP). RIM receives about 11 percent of the CWS/IRP refugee cases and works cooperatively with CWS/IRP Affiliate offices in designated cities across the United States in securing co-sponsors for these refugees.

Please note: The U.S. government allows RIM to resettle only in those areas that have a local CWS/IRP Affiliate office. A list of those office can be found at CWS/IRP.

How Do Congregations Help?

Congregations agreeing to co-sponsor refugees along with their local CWS/IRP Affiliate office will meet the refugees at the airport; provide them with housing, clothing, and food; help them find a job, learn English, get health check-ups and enroll the children in school; help them become self-sufficient; and become their friends.

Congregations who co-sponsor refugees become involved at many different levels of involvement. Some take on all the responsibilities of co-sponsorship, others assist relatives by providing only furnishings or clothing, others assist their CWS/IRP Affilaite office by providing only transportation or first month's rent, etc.

Whatever your congregation's level of involvement in resettlement, you will find information in the Refugee Resettlement Manual to be helpful.

Iraqi Refugees

Congregations assisting in the resettlement of Iraqi refugees are urged to use the material available in the new Global Ministries online Iraq resource, From War to Peace: Iraq and the Church's Voice. It includes information about the situation in Iraq and surrounding countries, including what happens to refugees and internally displaced persons.