New York, NY, May 19, 2022 — JC Hendrickson, IRC’s Senior Director of Resettlement, Asylum and Integration Policy and Advocacy, said, "The IRC applauds Congress for passing the Ukrainian Supplemental funding bill, which will provide additional humanitarian aid and additional funding to strengthen the US refugee resettlement infrastructure. The IRC is however concerned that the bill fails to address the long-term legal status of both Ukrainians and Afghans who have sought safety in the United States, and whose status as humanitarian parolees continues to limit their access to services and a permanent path to legal citizenship. The bill takes step towards addressing the enormous global knock-on impacts of the war in Ukraine, but beyond funding, the US must direct sustained attention and action towards forgotten crises such as in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, where millions face the prospect of famine. More funding must also be directed towards global Covid vaccination efforts, as vaccination rates remain low in most conflict-affected countries where the IRC works."
"The U.S. must work to provide refugees with permanent, durable solutions to their displacement, whether they are Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s act of aggression, Afghans who evacuated after the U.S. withdrawal, asylum-seekers fleeing violence in Northern Central America, or Syrians who have been displaced for years due to conflict."