Leaders ask Bush to welcome refugees

Christian Century, June 5, 2002

Christian and Jewish leaders have asked President Bush to continue to welcome refugees to this country despite increased security measures enacted in the U.S. war on terrorism.

In a letter dated May 21, representatives of 14 religious organizations urged Bush to maintain his commitment to admit as many as 70,000 refugees to the U.S. this year. They said about 11,000 refugees have arrived in the six months since Bush made that commitment in November.

"We are deeply concerned that unless strong measures are immediately invoked, thousands of desperate refugees will be forced to languish in the misery that is the plight of most of the world's 15 million refugees," they wrote.

The letter's signatories acknowledged that extra security has played a role in the movement of refugees. "However, we believe that our national resolve to combat terrorism need not unduly block the opportunities for safety and survival that the U.S. refugee program offers," they said.

The signatories included representatives of most mainline Protestant churches, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.--RNS