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)."
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.
