Explanation

• General Convention resolved in 2000 (2000-A053) to adopt the following mission statement for Episcopal Migration Ministries: “The Episcopal Church in Service to Refugees and Immigrants.”

The Episcopal Church has repeatedly affirmed its call to aid migrants, regardless of their formal legal status, for example by recommending that Episcopal Church “institutions and congregations become places of welcome, refuge, healing, and other forms of material and pastoral support for those targeted for deportation due to immigration status…”

• (2018-C009). This resolution and others have provided sound theological grounding for aid to immigrants.
• Increasing numbers of people around the world live as “forced migrants” or “forcibly displaced persons” (see final bullet point below for a glossary of immigration terms): at the end of 2022 108.4 million people had been compelled to flee from their home countries or regions as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing the public order, compared with 89.3 million at the end of 2021. 
• Forced migrants seeking safety in the United States are overwhelmingly people of color. In federal year 2022 (the most recent year for which data are available) approximately 54% of refugees admitted to the U.S. were from Africa, 37% were from Asia, 10% were from Latin American or the Caribbean, and 9% were from Europe or Central Asia. In that same year the countries of origin of people granted asylum were from the following countries, in rank order: P.R. China, Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Honduras, Afghanistan, Turkey, Russia, and Mexico, with a remaining 39.5% from countries not listed. In 2021, Undocumented immigrants were most likely to be from Mexico and Central America (66%), Asia (11%), South America (9%), Europe/Canada/Oceania (7%), the Caribbean (4%), and Africa (3%).
• “As climate change makes some parts of the earth uninhabitable, a climate migration crisis looms that international law is not prepared to address.” Climate change fuels forced migration in many ways: For example, by increasing the likelihood and frequency of natural disasters, increasing extreme poverty and conflict over dwindling resources, and exacerbating social tensions that can lead to scapegoating and warfare.
• EMM obtains the vast majority of its annual budget from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, which require that funds be used exclusively to benefit individuals within the United States who have formal “refugee” status or other narrowly defined legal status. 
• EMM is barred from using the abovementioned funds to work with the great majority of forcibly displaced persons within the United States, including but not limited to undocumented immigrants (over 11 million), asylum seekers (approximately 240,000 applicants per year), and millions worldwide whose migration is made necessary by climate change.
• Depending upon the outcome of the next U.S. presidential election, the American refugee resettlement program may be drastically reduced or even dismantled, judging from lessons learned between 2017 and 2021: “The Trump administration didn’t just try to throw a wrench in the gears… It actually tried to disassemble the entire resettlement infrastructure.” By following through on such a strategy, the U.S. federal government would not only cause untold human suffering, but it would also leave EMM with a small proportion of its current annual budget. Additional resources are needed to guard against this possibility and meaningfully continue the work of EMM. The wording of this resolution would allow for funds dedicated by General Convention to be used to aid refugees, if such funds were to become unavailable through the federal government.
• In 2022, General Convention resolved (2022-D045) that EMM should direct specific attention towards LGBTQ+ people who were compelled to flee their homelands. A far higher number of them in the United States have asylum seeker status (approximately 30,000 annually) than refugee status (approximately 1,000 annually).   Funds dedicated through this resolution could be used to continue and expand this ministry: For example, by providing training to partner and affiliate agencies on how they can be more fully welcoming of LGBTQ+ forced migrants, and by helping partnering congregations to develop direct-service programs for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.
• EMM is also barred from using funds from the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement to work with forced migrants outside of the U.S., including in regions such as Europe where Episcopal Church congregations seek to aid migrants.
• Other Episcopal Church-related institutions that are working to support forced migrants who are outside of the United States (for example Episcopal Relief and Development, an organization that is independent of The Episcopal Church) could benefit from the partnership and expertise of Episcopal Migration Ministries (a ministry of The Episcopal Church). For example, Episcopal congregations in Europe could be trained and mentored to use the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program which helps congregations to provide high-quality service programs to asylum seekers.
• EMM currently attempts to aid immigrants other than those who are covered by funding from the U.S. Department of State and Office of Refugee Resettlement through volunteer efforts, with minimal time dedicated by existing staff. This is the case, for example, for the Asylum and Detention Ministry Network (name to be changed at this General Convention), the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, and the Rainbow Initiative, all of which require additional focus for planning, coordination, training, and follow-up functions in order to make the best use of EMM’s international and growing cadre of volunteers.
• Brief glossary of immigration terminology used in this document: Legal terminology related to migration is complex and differs by country. These definitions are especially relevant to the United States and to the current proposed resolution. A “forced migrant” or “forcibly displaced person” is someone who has been compelled to flee from their home country or region as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing the public order. Refugees have been recognized by the U.S. government as needing protection and then resettled in the U.S. by EMM and 9 other designated agencies and their affiliates.  Asylum seekers have entered the U.S. and then petitioned for permission to stay permanently. Asylees have been granted that permission. Undocumented or unauthorized immigrants are at risk of being expelled from the U.S.
• Immigration status has wide-ranging implications for the lives of immigrants including: employment authorization; pathway to legal permanent residency and citizenship; eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP (Food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Eligibility for initial refugee program (Reception & Placement) - housing support, case management, basic needs, referrals, employment assistance; eligibility for additional refugee programs funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlment (ORR), including employment services, intensive medical & mental health case management; eligibility to apply for family reunification.

Support Document:

Enable EMM to More Fully Live out its Mission - including footnotes and links to supporting documents

 

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