RCUSA responds to news that the US is set to welcome 100k vulnerable Ukrainians

Washington, DC – The Biden administration today announced that the United States would provide upwards of $1 billion in additional humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and committed to welcoming 100,000 vulnerable Ukrainians who have been displaced by violence.

“We are always grateful to see our government take speedy and decisive action providing fundamental humanitarian protection,” said RCUSA’s Executive Director John Slocum, “and the announcement to utilize all relevant pathways to safety – including through the US Refugee Admissions Program – is an appropriate response to the severity and urgency of Russia’s war on Ukraine. As the administration secures pathways for Ukrainians, we join the call for the United States to provide access to safety for all who need refuge in the United States, including refugees in Africa and Asia who have been awaiting resettlement for years. We also once again call on the administration to end Title 42 expulsions, through which asylum-seekers from Central America, Haiti, and elsewhere are denied the opportunity provided for under US law to request asylum. Let our country’s response to supporting the most vulnerable Ukrainians be a model of welcome for all refugees.”

RCUSA and our member organizations are eager to assist in welcoming Ukrainian refugees and we await further details on the specific legal pathways through which the administration plans to bring them to the United States.

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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