USCCB committee chair calls upon Congress to permit Syrian refugees to enter nation
January 16, 2014
Noting that the number of Syrian refugees has risen from 550,000 in October 2012 to 2.3 million today, the chairman of the United Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration urged the Congress to increase aid to Syrian refugees, permit 15,000 Syrian refugees to enter the country, and to encourage other nations to welcome refugees as well.
The vice president of the International Rescue Committee told National Public Radio report that the United States has given over $1.4 billion in aid to Syrian refugees and that there are “fewer than 100” Syrian refugees currently in the United States.
In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo of Seattle also called upon Congress to “work with other governments to obtain a ceasefire in Syria, initiate serious negotiations, increase impartial humanitarian assistance, and give safe passage of that assistance, especially for internally displaced people (IDPs), and encourage efforts to build an inclusive society in Syria that protects the rights of all its citizens, including Christians and other minorities.”
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Further information:
- USCCB Chairman Of Committee On Migration Calls For Senate Action On Syria (USCCB)
- Full text of testimony (USCCB)
- U.S. Called On To Do More For Syrian Refugees (NPR)
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