While the crisis in Afghan may have fallen out of the daily news cycle, the story is far from over for many families still struggling to find some sense of safety and stability while trying to navigate an already overloaded system. As we continue to discern how best to help and support our Afghan brothers and sisters, I thought it would be best to start by learning some of the basic terms and presenting some of the ways we might help.
Refugee is a very specific definition under US law. It’s someone who demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, and has fled their home country. Under US immigration procedure, they receive the most thorough vetting of any category of visitor or immigrant, and includes analysis of biographic and biometric data.
Asylum Seeker is a person who claims to meet the definition of a Refugee, but has not yet been vetted. Through various options, they have been granted permission to remain in the US while waiting for vetting.
Humanitarian Parole is a specific permission granted to allow an asylum seeker to legally enter the US. Humanitarian Parole (HP) is granted to individuals, not families or groups. So even minor children have their own application for HP. Every application has a $575 application fee, which is non-refundable. There is an official process to request a fee waiver, but it is extraordinarily time-consuming and slows down the entire application.
US Sponsors People wishing to immigrate to the US generally need a US Sponsor, which is a person or organization who puts themselves forward to guarantee financial support so that the US gov’t does not become responsible for financial support. Sponsors don’t have to pay anything up front, but rather agree to financially support the foreign national if this becomes necessary while they are in the United States. Under most circumstances, an immigrant identifies their own sponsor (spouse, family member who is a citizen, etc). HP applicants often don’t, due to the emergency nature of leaving their home country.
Sponsors must be at least 18 years old, be a US citizen or permanent resident, and live in the US or a US territory. Organizations such as legal service providers, religious communities, and non-profit organizations can serve as sponsors, but because becoming a sponsor involves entering a legally binding contract with potential financial consequences, those interested in becoming sponsors are encouraged to consult an attorney to be certain they fully understand their obligation.
Opportunities for Helping
1. Donate money towards HP application fees. The case load of the law firm Linda is working with currently has almost 100 individuals needing funds for application fees. Right now, we’re working to figure out if the church can accept money to help with this expense or how to connect folks with direct ways of giving.
- Become a Sponsor for a family.Unlike the HP applications which are processed individually, a Sponsor can encompass a whole family. Government forms need to be completed, and financial documentation provided. This step is separate from providing hands-on, direct support to re-settling a family. Every HP application must have a Sponsor, so no matter how dire a family’s situation, they cannot get here without this act of support.
- Contact Elected OfficialsThere are organized efforts to lobby for the HP fee to be waived completely for those trying to escape Afghanistan. Also, US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) was originally expediting these applications, but they have apparently decided to stop doing that. Pressure from officials may help change that. While contacting elected officials may sound intimidating, it’s pretty easy, and elected officials appreciate hearing from their constituents. If you have questions or would like help contacting your representative, please let us know.
- Resettlement Assistance to FamiliesThis is the hands-on, relationship building opportunity. Our best bet is probably to work with World Relief, which puts together teams of 6-10 people to support a family for 6-12 months to help them begin to build new lives here. It’s not clear when this work will fire up, although the word is that they are beginning to transition people off the military bases.
- Spread the Word about help that is needed. Many organizations and people are doing great work to step into this crisis. Some have been doing refugee work for a long time, some are new. People are still trapped in Afghanistan or in refugee situations in other countries and hoping to come to the US. If you’re aware of other possible efforts for us to support, please let us know. Networking and amplifying the message is critical.Thank you for your prayers for these families and all the folks who are working to connect services and provide the most needed assistance as the needs change.
In Love
Pastor Annette