As of Monday, March 23, 2020 the IRC’s office in Baltimore will be closed to protect the health of clients, partners, staff and the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Our staff will continue to work remotely and will maintain regular remote contact and appointments with the individuals and families we serve.

This World Refugee Day, the U.S. should redouble its efforts to address the regional displacement crisis in the Americas by increasing its commitments to refugee protection in three key areas.

A crucial barrier to prosperity for many refugees is a lack of credit and access to financing. To meet this challenge, the IRC launched the Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), which offers credit building, auto, personal and business loans. As of 2023, CEO made more than 6,000 loans totaling more than $25 million to refugees across 20 states.

Who is a refugee? What’s the difference between refugees and asylum seekers? Which countries host the most refugees? Find out the answers to these commonly asked questions and get the real facts and statistics about refugees.

Olga Mbongo, a caseworker at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City, shares what brought her to the IRC and the surprises that come with her job.

Lauren Lehman speaks about her experience volunteering with the IRC as a logistics intern this summer, and about the great responsibility and privilege she feels in setting up apartments for newly arriving refugees and ensuring that they feel safe and welcome in their new homes.

Celebrating World Refugee Day

Judy Denison has been volunteering with the IRC in Denver for many years, but she has supported refugees for much longer. She works to serve her community through collaborative, mutually-empowering relationships.