WELCOME CORPS Celebrate One Year Anniversary
Photo courtesy of Welcome Corps
Africa-Related New York
Welcome Corps is a new program that empowers everyday Americans to welcome refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announces Welcome Corps
In January 2023, the U.S. Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched the Welcome Corps, a new program that empowers everyday Americans to welcome refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). In July 2023, the Department of State introduced the Welcome Corps on Campus, a new targeted education sponsorship initiative that enables U.S. colleges and universities to play a leading role in resettling refugee students.
The boldest innovation in the United States’ approach to refugee resettlement in four decades, the Welcome Corps builds upon our country’s long tradition of providing refuge to people forced to flee their homes. The launch of the program is widely popular among the American public and even more popular among those who personally know someone who is a refugee. In the first weeks following the launch, tens of thousands of people registered to learn more about the program and how they can join the Welcome Corps.
For more than 40 years, the Department of State has partnered primarily with non-profit resettlement agencies to provide initial resettlement assistance to newly arriving refugees. The Welcome Corps creates new opportunities for Americans in communities across the United States to engage directly in refugee resettlement, building on existing opportunities to volunteer with resettlement agencies.