Religious Groups and Lawmakers Push US Government to Allow 100,000 Syrian Refugees Into the Country

Syrian refugee children in Lebanon
Two Syrian refugee boys outside of a temporary home in Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. |

Several religious resettlement groups and lawmakers in United States are pressing the government to take in more Syrian refugees, up to 100,000, in one year, even as over 4 million have fled the country in the four years of fighting.

US has already provided over $4 billion dollars aid to Syria, but that is not enough, say the organizations representing the cause of crisis migration from Middle East.

The groups at the forefront of lobbying for loosening immigration policy of US towards Middle East are: Church World Service representing 37 denominations, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, US Catholic Conference of Bishops, and US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, among many others.

Some of the legislators have also called for allowing a higher number of immigrants from Syria and surrounding nations, and to increase spending for the humanitarian crisis, according to the Fiscal Times.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), has been a more vocal supporter of letting in more refugees, asking the government to take on "fair share" of Syrian refugees.

In a highly emotional tone, he even said that the US should "take the Statue of Liberty and tear it down" if the country stands firm on its stance of restricting the migrants escaping the historic civil war in Syria.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) said that he was open to letting more migrants into the country, but expressed his caution at the same time.

"I don't know what the right number is, but we want to be careful terrorists don't take advantage ... to infiltrate themselves among the very innocent people that would also be coming," he was quoted as saying by Roll Call.

The US government is taking into consideration the crisis in Middle East and Europe and the security threats posed by large influx of migrants from war-torn countries, and how the situation can be allayed.

This year the US did not accept more than 1,500 Syrian refugees, even as the quota of accepting migrants is 70,000 for this current year. Some 5,000 to 8,000 Syrians are expected to be taken in during the coming fiscal year.

The number of Syrians allowed entry into US remains small owing to the tough background checks on the applicants, which can take several months or years to process.

However, a statement submitted this year by a group of religious organizations say that the present legislation, "worsens expansive laws targeting terrorism that instead have consequences for refugees and asylees."

Jen Smyers from Church World Service' immigration and refugee program told Reuters that they are supporting a bill entitled Protecting Religious Minorities Persecuted by ISIS Act, that will categorize different religions and ethnicities as potential groups vulnerable to persecution.

"We've been disappointed at the current status of U.S. leadership," said Smyers. "I think we have seen some nodding of heads and people recognizing that something needs to be done, but we're still waiting to see what that is."

Catholic and other religious groups have said that many people in US have come forward to voluntarily help the refugees. They say that they can provide housing and jobs for more people, and help them settle down in community groups, according to Huffington Post.

"Already all of us are getting calls from folks who aren't currently connected with us asking how they can help and what they can do," said Stacie Blake, director of government and community relations at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

Over 1,500 Americans have signed an online petition MoveOn.org asking the government to take in more Syrian refugees.