On World Refugee Day, the United States reaffirms its longstanding tradition as a beacon of hope for refugees and persecuted people around the world. We are committed to standing with the millions of refugees around the world who have been forced to flee violence and persecution, and we thank the generous host communities, vital humanitarian partners, and private sponsors who support them. In FY 2024, the United States has so far welcomed more than 65,000 refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and is on track to welcome the most refugees in a single year in the program’s modern history.
Refugees make significant positive political, social, and economic contributions to their host and resettlement communities around the world. In the United States, refugees contributed nearly $124 billion to the growth of the U.S. economy from 2005-2019. This year, the Administration continues efforts to rebuild and strengthen USRAP with unwavering support from partners, including resettlement agencies, resettlement assistance centers, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Americans across the U.S. have stepped up to do what Americans do best, show their hospitality to newcomers. Through Welcome Corps, USRAP’s private sponsorship program, more than 87,000 Americans in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have banded together to form sponsorship groups, signing up to welcome refugees into their communities, schools, workplaces, and homes.
We also launched the Safe Mobility Initiative, under which more than 30,000 refugees from South and Central America have been approved for resettlement in communities across the United States, Canada, and Spain over the past year. As a result of the Administration’s continued diplomacy and assistance, refugees have been able to access services, information, and other support to integrate into host communities around the world and find safety and stability for their families rather than making dangerous journeys to other countries.
The United States is a global leader in international humanitarian response. The Department of State, through the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, coordinates with governments, multilateral partners, and the private sector to support refugees and provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection for the most vulnerable. Sharing responsibility is essential to meeting humanitarian needs so that all people can live with hope and dignity. No country can respond alone, and no country is immune from the effects of forced displacement. The United States stands with our partners and refugee communities on this day to honor and support forcibly displaced people around the world.
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