Washington, DC – RCUSA celebrates the bicameral introduction of the Refugee Protection Act of 2022 (RPA). This version of the RPA builds on the Refugee Protection Act of 2019, and includes several key additions that help bolster the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), strengthen refugee and asylum protections, and restore our nation’s moral leadership in humanitarian protection. Championed by Senator Leahy, retiring at the end of this congressional session, and Representative Lofgren, RPA is a comprehensive blueprint for rebuilding and reinvigorating our refugee and asylum programs and investing in US leadership to provide protection for all forcibly displaced populations worldwide.
“The Refugee Protection Act will provide urgently needed modernization of our nation’s refugee resettlement and asylum programs,” remarked RCUSA Executive Director John Slocum. “Its introduction honors the exemplary service of retiring Senator Patrick Leahy, who has been for decades the leading voice for refugee protection in the US Senate. As Senator Leahy suggested so eloquently in his farewell address, support for forcibly displaced persons is a central element of our national conscience.”
Our nation has a long history of welcoming refugees, and RCUSA is encouraged by the increasing levels of support for new arrivals in communities across the United States. The 2022 RPA is the essential next step to meet the needs of not only refugees, but also asylum seekers and the communities that welcome them. RCUSA looks forward to working with Members of Congress and the Administration to support the spirit of the RPA and ensure that refugees and asylum seekers have the protection and support they need to thrive.
Media Contact: Sarah Seniuk, Sseniuk@rcusa.org
RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.
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