FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2021
PRESS CONTACT
Spencer Tilger
media@refugeerights.org
646.761.2556
IRAP CELEBRATES CREATION OF SPONSOR CIRCLE PROGRAM FOR AFGHANS
(New York, NY) – Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced the Sponsor Circle Program, a partnership with the Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH) allowing individuals and community groups to directly support recently-arrived Afghans. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is working closely with CSH to explore the expansion of community sponsorship as a way to increase safe pathways for refugees to the United States, further direct engagement of American communities in refugee resettlement, and create additional capacity to welcome Afghan evacuees as new neighbors in localities across the country.
IRAP Private Sponsorship Program Director, Elizabeth Foydel, responded to the announcement:
“The Sponsor Circle Program is an exciting opportunity to expand refugee resettlement capacity in the United States to meet the needs of recently-arrived Afghans and complement the work of refugee resettlement agencies. Veterans, faith groups, and Americans all around the country are ready and eager to welcome Afghans into their communities, and sponsor circles are a new tool to support Afghans as they rebuild their lives in the United States. IRAP celebrates the program and looks forward to building on this model to expand resettlement opportunities for refugees from around the world.”
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