Target: President Joe Biden
Goal: Increase the rate of resettlement for unhoused Afghan refugees.
There are 2.2 million Afghan refugees currently displaced due to the ongoing conflict and fears over the Taliban administration in their country. While Afghans are being allowed into the US, their rate of entry is restricted and has been slowed by a number of issues affecting processing times.
The largest challenge facing incoming refugees is finding off-base housing. Resettlement agencies contract with the State Department to help, but a combination of housing shortages and soaring rents make it difficult to find a place to live, especially if they don’t have access to income or credit scores. The Trump Administration also shrunk the refugee program by nearly a third, shutting down a large portion of their offices. While Afghans wait for housing, they are stuck on military bases in cramped quarters, with many families stuck in tents together.
The United States needs to not only acknowledge its role in the current unrest in Afghanistan but move quickly to take in and house refugees. To do so, they need to officially classify Afghans as refugees and asylum seekers, which would allow for quicker resettlement.
Sign the petition below to demand a quicker, more empathetic response to the Afghan crisis now.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear President Biden,
There is an ongoing crisis overseas, and refugees from Afghanistan continue to come to the US border, fleeing the Taliban. Those who arrive deserve our help, quickly and efficiently. It is time that they become legally classified as refugees and are given the resources needed to survive. This includes housing, education, and the resources to acquire jobs.
This situation, created in part by American Interventionism, requires a deft hand and systemic change, and it is up to you to create that change. Your administration should rebuild the refugee program to at least pre-Trump administration levels, and make sure that they have the resources needed to affect change appropriately.
Please, use your authority to house and provide for displaced Afghans now.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: DVIDSHUB
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