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CWS Welcomes 4,779 Refugees in FY 2006
Nelson, a young Karen refugee who arrived Sept. 1, finds his size among the many choices in the clothing closet at Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta (RRISA).
Photo: Felicia Leonard
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In FY 2006, which ended Sept. 30, 4,779 refugees from around the world resettled in the United States under Church World Services auspices. The total exceeded last year's 4,616 despite the fact that the numbers coming through the U.S. Refugee Program (USRP) were down, from 53,813 in FY 2005 to just over 41,000 in FY 2006, largely because of the "material support" issue and hold ups in exit permits from Russia and Kenya.
CWS held its own overall thanks in large part to an influx of Iranian Christians to Los Angeles and to Somali family reunifications, mostly in Columbus, Ohio, where CWS affiliate Community Refugee and Immigration Services resettled 1,454 refugees in FY 2006.
Among the latest arrivals are ethnic Karen refugees from Burma. By Oct. 1, CWS had received 85 refugees, among the first arrivals from Tham Hin Camp in Thailand. Many more Karen are due to arrive in FY 2007.
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