Created by the US government, the Welcome Corps program offers its citizens the opportunity to help relocate thousands of refugees.
The State Department plans to rally 10,000 Americans in its first year to help 5,000 refugees adjust.
In order to facilitate the transition from one way of life to another for refugees, the department works with specialized groups. These groups are non-profit and specialize in refugee issues.
The benefit of this new program is that with five or more Americans, a similar group can be formed to perform the same functions.
So what can refugees do in the US?
In this case, the citizens must submit an application for private sponsorship for the refugees. That way, they would be responsible for raising their own funds to help them for the first 90 days.
It is important for them to know that the background and certification of individuals and groups who wish to become private sponsors are checked.
This program consists of two basic phases. Initially, private sponsors are given to refugees admitted by the Federal Refugee Aid for resettlement.
Secondly, private sponsors can identify and support refugees abroad and refer them to the program mentioned above.
The situation is different with the 30,000 people who are allowed to enter the country from Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. They also need sponsorship, but are admitted through a humanitarian probationary designation.
Since the passage of the Refugee Act in 1980, more than three million refugees have arrived in North America. In the case of Welcome Corps, it came to light after a smaller effort that allowed Americans to sponsor Afghan and Ukrainian citizens.
Founded in 2021, Welcome Corps has helped more than 800 people reach North America through a network of 230 circles of sponsors. All of them certified and with the involvement of about 5,000 people.