Washington launches program to allow Americans to sponsor refugees in US

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US launched a pilot program Thursday to allow Americans to sponsor the resettlement of arriving refugees.

The State Department said the program, “the Welcome Corps,” empowers Americans to “play a leading role in welcoming refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and supporting their resettlement and integration as they build new lives in the United States.”

Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Julieta Valls Noyes, told reporters that welcoming refugees reflects the values of the country.

“Our goal in 2023 is to mobilize 10,000 Americans to step forward as private sponsors and help resettle at least 5,000 refugees,” she said.

The program will have two phases, said the agency. The first will be to match private sponsors participating in the Welcome Corps with refugees who will be resettled under the USRAP.

“In the second phase of the program, which will launch in mid-2023, private sponsors will be able to identify refugees to refer to the USRAP for resettlement and support the refugees they have identified. Further details on the second phase of the program will be forthcoming,” it said.