In the past century, wars, famines, civil unrest, climate change and other catastrophes have pushed people from their homes. They may be fleeing war or persecution, or simply trying to survive in their own country where poverty, injustice, lack of education and healthcare make life difficult or even impossible. Many are hoping to return home when it is safe, but there are many who have no choice but to seek asylum in another country. This global crisis of displaced people needs political solutions.
The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right to refuge, and the 1951 Refugee Convention sets out the responsibilities of states to protect refugees. Yet barbed wire fences, chronic underfunding and poor policymaking have allowed the refugee crisis to spiral.
There are many ways you can help. Supporting a national voluntary agency that resettles refugees is one way. In the US, there are nine such agencies that do this work on behalf of the government. They include Church World Service, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Family Reunification Services of America, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.
Other ways you can help are by raising awareness of humanitarian issues. Whether it’s challenging myths and prejudice about refugees when you meet friends or voting for politicians who promise to put their words into action, you can contribute. You can also become involved in community sponsorship, where local communities raise money to welcome families and individuals escaping persecution or conflict.