The White House this week approved 18 months of additional Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals already in the U.S. and opened the door for newer arrivals to apply for the legal protection assuming they entered the country before Nov…
An agnostic teaches us about Jesus
Nearly a decade ago, I had a pleasant surprise. I received an email from a friend I had not seen or heard from since the late 1960s. Charles lived two doors down from us, and we spent many hours playing…
Religion, race and politics are key factors in attitudes on welcoming refugees
Research into American attitudes about welcoming Afghan, Ukrainian and other refugees into the nation confirms how closely religion, race and politics have become intwined in the United States. “For instance, Hispanic evangelicals, Black Protestants and white nonevangelical Protestants are all…
Veterans and faith groups urge Congress to secure the safety of Afghan immigrants
Secular and faith-based organizations are pressing Congress to enact the newly introduced Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide permanent legal residency to Afghan refugees a year after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Introduced with bipartisan support earlier this month in…
Displaced by the war in Ukraine, some Nigerian medical students won’t be allowed to practice if they come home
In the last six months of his sojourn abroad as a medical student, Maurice Nwokejiezi has, on at least two occasions, come up against forces determined to thwart his ambition. The first was in Ukraine where in February, as a…
With refugee numbers rising worldwide, racism remains a factor in where they’re accepted and how quickly
In its message marking this year’s World Refugee Day June 20, the United Nations came up with a three-word catch phrase it believes should define how refugees are treated globally: “Whoever. Wherever. Whenever.” The subtheme is: “Everyone has the right…
Amid the refugees waiting in Mexico due to Title 42, a Russian nurse who opposes the war in Ukraine
A Fellowship Southwest-backed ministry in Mexico is housing a Russian asylum seeker who fled her country for protesting Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine. The organization recently announced that Red de Albergues para Migrante — or the Migrant Shelter Network in…
Kenyan government silent on plans for Dabaab and Kakuma refugee camps
With about a month to the deadline issued by the Kenyan government to close the Kakuma and Dabaab refugee camps in the East African country, government agencies have gone silent on how they will make the closures happen. The two…
Number of displaced persons worldwide hits new peak of 100 million
The war in Ukraine has driven the number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide to a record-setting 100 million, according to the United Nations. The 90 million figure reached at the close of 2021 was quickly surpassed after Russia’s Feb. 24…