New York, NY, September 14, 2016 — Jennifer Sime, Senior Vice President, US Programs at International Rescue Committee:
We support President Obama’s commitment to increase the number of refugees the US will resettle over the next year as a step in the right direction. Congress must now do its part. Our ability to live up to our proud history as a global leader in welcoming the world’s most vulnerable depends on Congress funding the resettlement program. Our leaders must now put politics aside and heed our moral obligation to provide safe refuge for families fleeing terror and conflict.
As we head into the UN General Assembly Summit and the president’s refugee summit next week, we are calling on world leaders to commit to resettling ten percent of all refugees within the next three years. 110,000 is progress, but it remains a small fraction of the total global need. As the historic global leader in resettlement, the US sets global precedent on resettlement and so we must do more to ensure that other countries follow and do their part as well. We must commit to sharing more of the responsibility in welcoming the thousands more who deserve the chance to live in peace and safety.