To those living without fear of death, it may seem that the world is this beautiful combination of green and blue, but to those fleeing from a land of crisis, there is only red. There are over 82.4 million refugees worldwide who all see the world as red. The Immigration and Nationality Act defines a refugee as an alien who has suffered from persecution or has a valid fear of possible persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a social group, or a political opinion. Since the Refugee Act was passed in 1980, the US has accepted 3.1 million refugees. This may seem like a great success, but let’s take a closer look at the numbers. The US resettled 207,116 refugees in 1980 alone. Then we fast-forward to the fiscal year of 2020, the US only resettled 11,814 refugees. Not only was this the lowest number of refugees admitted into the US since the 80s, but the country was not close to meeting the already low refugee resettlement cap of 18,000. Former President Donald Trump then set the refugee resettlement cap even lower for the fiscal year of 2021 at 15,000. President Biden raised the presidential determination to 125,000 for the fiscal year of 2022 in October of this year, however, this number is still not high enough. The refugee resettlement cap should be raised to 200,000 as resettlement causes economic growth, is affordable, strengthens the country’s national security, and aligns American values.
By increasing the refugee resettlement cap to 200,000, the US would gain an enriched economy. Employers in the US work with refugee resettlement agencies to hire refugees because they will be reliable and hard-working. Refugees heavily contribute to the economic growth of the country by creating jobs, being entrepreneurs, consumers, and taxpayers. Entrepreneurship is 50% higher for refugees than among people born in the US. Refugees on average pay 21,000 more in tax dollars than they receive in government benefits. Additionally, in 2019, 85% of the International Rescue Committee’s Employment Program clients were economically self-sufficient within 6 months. These statistics highlight how because refugees become taxpayers, consumers, and workers the country would increase its Gross Domestic Product because there is more demand and more jobs being created. In this way, refugees can compensate for the support they need from the government by paying more in taxes and contributing to the economy.
Even with our current economy, the US still has the ability to afford refugees. Global displacement is at an all-time high, yet this country with the highest GDP in the world only accepts 1% of refugees. The world’s poorest countries actually host the most refugees with 85% in middle and low-income countries that are still impacted by food insecurity and malnutrition to this day. In addition, the US government does not offer any money to refugees entering the US. They may provide certain benefits for emergencies or those in need of medical support, however, refugees must apply for these benefits and meet a certain income threshold to qualify for assistance. In this way, the US will not lose any money when allowing refugees to enter the United States. Refugee resettlement agencies get in contact with all refugees that are resettled into the US so that they can gain an economic plan, employment plan, and housing plan. If these refugees can be helped by even the poorest nations in the world, then the US, with the number one GDP, should have no problem resettling 200,000 refugees.
Refugee resettlement encourages strengthened national security in the US. Experts have explained how resettling refugees aid in recruitment for assistance and assets abroad and helps to lessen anti-Western propaganda. Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, stated that “maintaining [refugee] resettlement commitments is critical to our military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations abroad.” He credits the thousands of Iraqis and Afghans who “put their lives on the line to support intelligence-gathering, operations planning, and other essential services” in order to help Americans. Without having resettlement opportunities for these locals who risked their lives, we won’t be able to find more people to help the US with their knowledge about an area they know well. An example of this is gaining the intelligence of those who are escaping ISIS territory, such as Syrian refugees, who would give key information that would help the US defeat ISIS. 20 national-security officials on both sides of the political spectrum agree that “resettlement initiatives help advance U.S. national security interests by supporting the stability of our allies and partners that are struggling to host large numbers of refugees.” Former Secretary Chertoff even states that “categorically refusing to take them only feeds the narrative of ISIS that there is a war between Islam and the West, that Muslims are not welcome in the United States and Europe, and that the ISIS caliphate is their true home.” These government officials all highlight that if the US doesn’t help refugees, the results could be catastrophic because it could lead to potentially useful allies to the US, viewing the nation as their enemy because they weren’t accepted when fleeing persecution. In many cases, they could fall for the propaganda that the US is, essentially, the “bad guy” in the world.
Refugees seek what we as Americans put our pride into, something that we hold dearest to our hearts: freedom, a founding principle of this country. Refugee resettlement in and of itself reflects American core beliefs and values. The Declaration of Independence establishes that every individual is endowed with the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” that can never be taken away. These rights are not granted by the government but are instead guaranteed for every human being on this planet, and the job of the government is to protect the ability to practice these rights. By denying refugees from entering the US in order to stay alive, gain freedom, and live decently, we are denying their natural-born rights that every person on this Earth is entitled to. Our history is full of occurrences where Americans fight for freedom, for ourselves, or others. However, when it comes to those fleeing injustices in this day and age, we are all silent on the issue. I ask you why? Why is it that we are shunning the people that are struggling the most, the people that news stories don’t cover anymore, the people that die every day yet no one bats an eye, the people that can’t call any place on this planet their home? Refugees are fleeing from persecution and are being denied their liberties. We have a major necessity to help refugees because the job of the government is to protect the people’s liberties, not to deny them. By not expanding the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the US, the nation is contradicting the Declaration of Independence.
One may argue that we shouldn’t raise the refugee resettlement cap because the refugees coming into the US could be dangerous and may not really need help. This argument is easily debunked by looking at the US refugee screening process. Refugee status is only given to those that meet certain qualifications and the UN high commissioner determines if each potential refugee meets this criterion. The refugee is then referred to the US for resettlement by the NGO, UN, or US Embassy. Then refugees must pass through a series of multiple security checks, such as biographic and biometric screenings. These screenings are conducted by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. A refugee’s identity is then checked against intelligence agency databases. Then a US Homeland Security official has an in-person detailed interview with each refugee. If the official determines that the refugee meets admissions criteria, then the applicant is approved for resettlement. The refugee then goes through medical screenings and is matched with a sponsor agency that will aid them once they resettle into the US. But the process does not end here. There is then a second security screening done before arrival to the US where agencies conduct a check for any new information. Refugees are then checked again at an airport in order to make sure that the refugee arriving is the same one who was approved for resettlement. This tedious process makes sure that there is no threat to the US when resettling a refugee. Each refugee is carefully screened and if there is any doubt that the refugee is dangerous, or does not fit the criteria of a refugee, they will not be allowed to resettle into the United States of America.
The US is often regarded as the “free world,” but who is it really free for? Those that suffer the most are being ignored when they are in their most dire times. The US can supply them with aid just by allowing them to enter the country. An Iraqi refugee named Najah resettled in Georgia in 2009. She recalled feeling out of place because she didn’t know a single word of English. However, after living in the US for years her English improved, and she manages and teaches artisans at Peace Of Thread which is a nonprofit that sells bags and purses made by refugee women just like her. There are 3.1 million refugees just like Najah who have been able to find success by resettling into the US from 1980, when the Refugee Act institutionalized the resettlement system of today, up until now. By raising the refugee resettlement cap to 200,000 the US can grant so many more this opportunity to be free. The country will also benefit from an enriched economy and strengthened national security. Not only is this affordable, but refugee resettlement reflects core American values and beliefs that shape the nation. Without action, freedom is just a word. A country that symbolizes freedom should live up to this standard and ensure justice for the silenced and suffering.
Works Cited
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