FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2023
PRESS CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
IRAP CELEBRATES LAUNCH OF PRIVATE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM FOR REFUGEES
(New York, NY) – Today, the Biden administration launched the Welcome Corps, an innovative program that will allow groups of Americans to directly sponsor refugees to resettle in their communities. The Biden administration hopes to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to welcome refugees in the first year of the program.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) has long been a leading voice in the call to establish a refugee private sponsorship program in the United States. Last year, IRAP worked with partners to develop recommendations for how the Biden administration should design and implement such a program, and IRAP will support the Welcome Corps as an unfunded consortium partner focused on developing legal resources and guidance for sponsors and refugees.
IRAP Private Sponsorship Program Director, Elizabeth Foydel, said: “IRAP celebrates today’s announcement as a concrete step towards not just rebuilding, but also innovating U.S. refugee resettlement to increase capacity and impact. Communities around the United States want to support refugees, and the Welcome Corps will get them directly involved in the resettlement process. We look forward to working with the Biden administration to build a permanent private sponsorship program that deepens connections between new neighbors, strengthens communities, and allows more refugees to find a safe place to call home.”
Additional Resources
- Read the announcement: HERE
- Read the consortium’s press release: HERE
- Learn more about how to become a sponsor: HERE
- Read IRAP, AIUSA, and the Niskanen Center’s 2022 recommendations for a private sponsorship pilot program: HERE
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