Tell Congress to Expedite Refugee Protections for Afghans Seeking Safety

From Church World Service (http://www.churchworldservice.org):

On August 2nd, the U.S. Department of State announced a Priority 2 (P-2) designation for certain Afghan nationals and their family members in need of resettlement who do not meet the specific requirements of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. The P-2 designation is for groups of special humanitarian concern to the United States in need of protection and resettlement. This is an important step toward expanding access to protection and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for Afghan allies and their families.

As the United States withdraws from Afghanistan, violence from the Taliban has escalated, particularly against women and children and religious minorities. The P-2 designation is an essential initial step to save Afghan lives who are in danger – but a lot of work still needs to be done to expand refugee protections. Join us in urging Congress and the administration to expand refugee protections for Afghans fleeing violence and persecution. When President Biden says “speed is safety,” that should apply not only to the U.S. military but also to the Afghan allies who supported the U.S. mission and Afghan refugees in need of protection.

Here are top ways to take action TODAY:

Contact your Members of Congress: Go to https://cwsglobal.org/action-alerts/take-action-urge-the-administration-to-expand-refugee-protections-for-afghans-fleeing-violence-and-persecution/ to urge your Members of Congress to hold the administration accountable to expand and expedite refugee protections for Afghans fleeing violence and persecution.

Amplify on Social Media: Share widely and use the social media posts and this sample graphic. Here are a couple of posts you can use:

• We call on you @StatePRM @WHNSC @SecBlinken @WhiteHouse to work with @POTUS to #SaveOurAfghanAllies and protect those who protected us. It’s time to honor our commitments and support P1 referrals & P2 pathways!
• The U.S. welcomed its first flight of #AfghanAllies – but this is only a small first step. We must #EvacuateNow the 18,000+ Afghans who risked their lives to help the U.S. @StatePRM @WHNSC @SecBlinken @WhiteHouse @POTUS, it’s time to #KeepOurPromise.

Please find CWS’s statement on yesterday’s news linked here and Refugee Council USA’s statement here.