The Faith Community's Role in Refugee Resettlement in the United States

The United States is home to the largest resettled refugee population in the world, and continues to accept more resettled refugees for admission annually than all other resettlement countries combined. Refugees in the US are resettled through a public–private partnership model that leverages the support of private local community networks, particularly faith-based groups, with public support received from US government agencies. Faith-based organizations and faith communities in the US have a strong legacy of providing support for refugee assistance and protection and advocating for refugees’ access to resettlement as a durable solution. They continue to be instrumental in resettling 70 per cent of all refugees arriving in the US today, from varied geographic, ethnic and faith backgrounds. This article uses the case of Church World Service (CWS) to discuss the historic significance of faith communities and faith-based organizations (FBOs) in refugee resettlement in the United States, their unique contributions to refugees’ local integration, and how they continue to respond to meet the needs of refugees in a changing social and economic context. While reference is made to the contributions of a variety of faith communities, the perspectives and experience of Church World Service staff, affiliates, partners, denominations and refugees resettled through CWS networks are highlighted.