The U.S Deportment of State has launched the ‘Welcome Corps’ program which sees private individuals and organisations being able to sponsor refugees wanting to live in the United States.
The scheme allows groups of 5 or more individuals to provide a minimum of $2,275 to cover the costs of resettlement for the refugee, and they will be expected to create and manage a support plan to help them settle into society through employment, housing and education during their first three months in the U.S.
The program, which welcomes sponsorship from both green card holders and citizens, will initially only support refugees who have already been approved for settlement in the United States – and later in 2023, this will expand to those who have not yet arrived on American soil.
The move, which Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the“boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in four decades”, has been hailed by immigrant advocacy groups, and is seen as President Biden following through on promises made during his election campaign to prioritize the settlement of refugees.
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