InterAction Member Responses and Resources on Refugees and Resettlement

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Submitted by Burt Edwards on Tue, 03/07/2017 - 7:25pm
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The member NGOs of InterAction, with the generous support of the United States and other donors, including a multitude of private American citizens, have assisted refugee and displaced people for decades. The level of our commitment and belief is demonstrated by our pledge at the World Humanitarian Summit to provide more than $1.2 billion in private resources over the next three years to assist the world’s displaced people and refugees.

The United States has a long and proud tradition of supporting the more than 62 million refugees and IDPs who have been forced to flee their homes by wars and natural disasters. This assistance includes the U.S. refugee resettlement program, limited in scope and available to less than 1% of the 21 million refugees globally. Third-country resettlement is considered only for the most vulnerable refugees, for whom other solutions are not viable. And before they can resettle in the U.S., refugee candidates must pass an intensive and lengthy security vetting process.

The majority of refugees, or the other 99%, are assisted in their initial country of asylum, voluntarily repatriated to their home country, or integrated into a community of their host country. Ultimately, the best way to address the global refugee crisis is to address the causes at their sources. This means seeking a diplomatic solution to ongoing conflicts, encouraging all parties to conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and increasing vital, life-saving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities caught in the midst of deadly conflicts across the world.

The United States’ response to the greatest population displacement since World War II should be a reaffirmation of its moral and strategic leadership, not an imposition of restrictions upon those fleeing violence and oppression. Below is a collection of links to letters, statements, and reactions from InterAction members to the January 27 and March 6 executive orders regarding the admission to the United States of refugees and the entry of citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia. 
 

January 2017 Executive Order 

On Friday, January 27, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 13769: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States regarding the admission to the United States of refugees and the entry of citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia. Among other things, the order requires the U.S. government to:

  • Halt the entire refugee admissions program for 120 days to determine additional security vetting procedures;
  • Reduce the number of refugees admitted in FY 2017 from 110,000 to 50,000;
  • Suspend indefinitely the resettlement of refugees from Syria;
  • Possibly suspend the issuance of visas to individuals from countries of concern, including nationals of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen; and
  • Provide a priority of entry for refugees who are religious minorities.

March 2017 Executive Order 

On Monday, March 6, President Donald J. Trump signed a new executive order ("Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States") regarding the admission to the United States of refugees and the entry of citizens from Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia. 

Read the full March 6 Executive Order | Read a related March 6 Presidential Memorandum

InterAction Members Respond to Executive Order on Refugees

Below is a collection of links to letters, statements, and reactions from InterAction members (in alphabetical order, by date | Last Updated: 3/9/17).

See more news from InterAction members

InterAction Members Work in the Affected Countries

The maps below represent just a sample of the work that InterAction members are doing in the countries affected by the January Executive Order (Please Note: Iraq was removed from the list of affaected countries in the March 6 order). They were generated by NGO Aid Map, a voluntary InterAction initiative where members self-report project data. Therefore, this is a partial representation of our members’ work in this region, not a comprehensive one.

You can also create a report to view a deeper analysis of our members’ (self-reported) work in these countries, or explore the data yourself at www.ngoaidmap.org.

Iran Iraq Libya Somalia Sudan Syria Yemen

Related InterAction Resources

To learn more about InterAction's work on refugees and resettlement issues, please view the resources listed below. In addition, related blogs by InterAction staff, members, and partners can be found in our searchable blog index. 

InterAction Syrian Refugee Resettlement Senate Sign On Letter

On December 2, 2015, InterAction sent U.S. senators and staff a sign-on letter from 59 humanitarian and faith-based NGOs strongly urging them to vote against H.R. 4038 -- the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act -- or any similar appropriations policy riders and/or legislation which may be considered. Read more.

Letter to the Administration: Leaders' Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis

InterAction strongly supported the administration's initiative to host the Leaders’ Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis at the margins of the 71st United Nations General Assembly. Though the summit only includeed commitments for refugees, InterAction fully endorsed the three pillars that framed the commitments from member states: expanded humanitarian funding, expanded resettlement, and improved refugee inclusion and self-reliance. Read more.

InterAction Announces $1.2 billion Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance Pledge

In advance of President Barack Obama's Sept. 20 Leaders’ Summit on Refugees, InterAction announced a commitment by 32 of its members to collectively invest over $1.2 billion in private resources on global humanitarian assistance efforts over the next three years. Learn more or read a blog by InterAction CEO Sam Worthington on the pledge.

InterAction Fact Sheet: Myths vs. Reality on Syrian Refugees

To help dispell some of the many myths surrounding efforts to assist Syrian refugees, InterAction in 2015 released a short fact sheet for policymakers, members of the press, and civil society advocates. Read more.