Panelists decry divisive rhetoric against refugees and other newcomers

Tolerance and mutual understanding are encouraged during Church World Service webinar

by Darla Carter | Presbyterian News Service

Dr. Sarah Miller (screenshot)

LOUISVILLE — Despite rhetoric to the contrary, there are many people making positive contributions to their communities after migrating to this country, and churches can do more to serve as allies.

Those were some of the messages conveyed during a recent webinar by Church World Service (CWS), a faith-based organization that works with partners around the world to protect people experiencing hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. It’s also a national resettlement agency.

During the webinar called “Demystifying 21st Century Migration: What We Know and How We Can Best Prepare,” a three-member panel noted that refugees and other newcomers, such as asylum seekers, are sometimes painted in a negative light that portrays them as a drain on the country.

That ignores the fact that some bring prior skills and academic credentials that sometimes include “very advanced degrees” and make valuable contributions, said Dr. Sarah Miller, a senior fellow with Refugees International. Even if they have charitable needs in the beginning, “many refugees and other migrants are eager to work.”

Miller, who’s taught at multiple universities, also challenged the idea that the U.S. should concentrate just on helping poor people from this country. She argued, “A country as well-resourced and powerful as the U.S. can do a bit of both.”

Miller was joined by fellow panelists Susan Krehbiel, associate for Migration Accompaniment Ministries for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and Erol Kekic, senior vice president of programs for CWS.

Erol Kekic (screenshot)

Kekic said that among other things, political divisions can “lead to violence and discrimination to newcomers and those who work with them, so promoting tolerance and mutual understanding is really key, and we all have a role to play in it.”

Krehbiel noted that “the nationalism that’s growing is not going away in the next year, and the polarization that we find in this rhetoric around good and bad immigrants is asking more of our faith communities,” from providing financial resources and volunteer time to standing up against “rigid laws that try to fit people into boxes that they don’t fit.”

However, Krehbiel also acknowledged some of the challenges that churches may encounter. For example, “knowing that the people that they’re accompanying want to work and can work and have skills to bring, but they’re in a backlog for employment authorization documents,” or “agreeing to accompany somebody who’s in the middle of their asylum process, not knowing if at the end of the day — three years or four years from now — they will be given permission to stay, and then what does the church do then?” she said.

Miller, who gave an overview about migration in various parts of the world, had noted that many displaced people need help but don’t fit tidily into categories that some officials use to decide whether someone is eligible for protection and assistance. For example, many Venezuelans “don’t consider themselves refugees or are not considered refugees by other countries, but they are indeed fleeing a difficult situation that they cannot return to,” she said.

Worldwide, there are more than 117 million forcibly displaced people, including about 31 million refugees, Miller said. There also are nearly 70 million internally displaced people who may be fleeing but are still within their original country. Many people don’t have the means to go far away, so they settle in nearby countries, such as Iran and Pakistan.

Susan Krehbiel (Photo by Rich Copley)

There are various reasons that people flee, including chronic poverty, internal conflict in their country, civilians being targeted and climate change, Miller said. “Millions of people are being displaced by climate and natural disasters that are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, and there’s an estimated 1.2 billion that might be further displaced by 2050.”

Reviewing trends at the U.S.-Mexico border, Miller noted there are more families and children coming in recent years, people coming from farther afield (such as Africa and the Middle East) and greater numbers of people fleeing generalized violence.

CWS works with displaced people all over the world, including in the U.S. Kekic touted that about 100,000 people have been admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program this year. They have legal authorization to reside in this country and can become citizens in five years if they are law-abiding, which most are, he said.

“They become essential health workers. They serve in the U.S. military. They open businesses employing Americans. They buy homes, and some run for offices in their local community and win, and that’s certainly something we’re proud of,” he said.

Kekic also highlighted a recent report that found refugees and asylees had a positive net fiscal impact on the U.S. government of nearly $124 billion over a 15-year period. “Investments do pay off, and our economy is better for it,” he said.

Kekic urged individuals and groups to consider becoming sponsors to refugee families, adding that connecting with newcomers on a person-to-person level “helps us not to condone hate.”

In the advocacy arena, Krehbiel noted that there are more refugee- and immigrant-led groups speaking out lately and that “we can be in solidarity with (them) instead of speaking on behalf of (them).”

She also noted the importance of churches being willing to talk about racism and “to look at the reality of the community around them that refugees and others are going to have to confront once they’re actually in our communities.”

To view the full recording, go here.

Migration Accompaniment Ministries is one of the Compassion, Peace & Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency and is part of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.