AUG 31 2020
By Lauren Husband, Communications Team
Right now, the current administration is considering how many refugees to resettle in Fiscal Year 2021. Fiscal Year 2021 begins October 1, 2020— just over one month from now.
Since the U.S. refugee resettlement program was established in 1980, the U.S. has set an average annual refugee admissions goal of around 95,000. Unfortunately, this number has steadily declined, set as just 18,000 in FY 2020 – an all-time low.
This reduction has negatively impacted refugees in Arkansas who are awaiting family reunification, resettlement agencies and volunteers who are dedicated to welcoming refugees, and businesses across our state that employ refugees and immigrants. As the number of refugees worldwide continues to grow, this decrease in admissions comes at a devastating time.
As of August 21, 2020, the U.S. has only resettled 8,572 refugees this fiscal year. Although resettlement has understandably slowed due to migration concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it also means that refugee and asylee populations are more vulnerable than ever, as many refugee camps and transitional accommodations lack adequate housing and health care.
Historically, refugee resettlement has enjoyed overwhelmingly bipartisan support.
In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was facing an overwhelming refugee crisis; the Mariel boatlift had brought almost 125,000 Cuban exiles to the United States in 1980, thousands of people were fleeing the Khmer Rouge genocides in Cambodia, and the fall of Saigon in 1975 had spurred the years-long mass emigration of Indochinese refugees. In the face of these crises, Reagan took a welcoming stance toward refugees, saying:
We shall continue America’s tradition as a land that welcomes peoples from other countries. We shall also, with other countries, continue to share in the responsibility of welcoming and resettling those who flee oppression.
Right now is our time to act
We need your help expressing to the current administration that we want to significantly raise the presidential determination threshold to historic level of 95,000! It is important that this determination is made before the October 1 deadline— if the presidential determination is not signed by the beginning of FY 2021, all refugee resettlement will be completely halted until a determination is signed.
We have two goals: 1) to raise the refugee resettlement cap to at lease 95,000 for FY 2021, and 2) to ensure a presidential determination is signed by October 1, 2020!
How can you help?
- Contact your state officials. Find information on your representatives by visiting contactingcongress.org/local or usa.gov/elected-officials.
- Tweet your state officials! Click to find the twitter handles for your state legislators.
- Ask your local and state representatives to sign this letter. Not sure what to say when reaching out to your local and state leaders? Here’s a call and email template! Here is a direct link to the sign-on letter.
- Share stories about how refugee resettlement has positively impacted you, your family, and your community. Use these hashtags!
- #RefugeesWelcome2021#RefugeesWelcome #AmericaWelcomes #WithRefugees
Last year, 408 local and state elected officials from 46 states signed the FY 2020 letter—including Arkansas — and we need to do it again. Help us remind our elected representatives that welcoming our neighbors in need is a core American value!
#RefugeesWelcome2021!
P.S. — Despite the steady decrease in resettlement, Canopy’s work continues to expand- but we need our community’s help. Canopy is gearing up for our fall fundraiser, which will be chock full of Canopy goodies, incredible auction items from local artists and chefs, and more! We are just 2 weeks away, so get ready! One of our favorite items is a couple of new Canopy stickers…we can’t wait to share! Thanks to Sticker Mule, these stickers are bound to be the talk of the town! Check out Sticker Mule’s Logo Stickers here!
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