Refugees flee their home and homeland to escape the threat of violence and persecution.  Their time in exile can be long – sometimes years or decades. 

Our nation welcomes a number of refugees each year who have no hope of returning to their home country. Episcopal Migration Ministries is one of 10 national agencies working in partnership with the U.S. Department of State to resettle those who have been given a chance to rebuild their lives.

Refugees come here with gifts of culture, as well as skills and experience, but they also have many needs. We assist thousands of refugees annually, working together with faith groups and volunteers to help these newcomers find work and adjust to life in their community. Often, the relationships that form on all sides are life-changing.

Today, 16 million refugees around the globe seek security and a place of safety. Our efforts begin to address this need by bringing relief, dignity and hope to many.

Presiding Bishop hails Refugee Act on 30th Anniversary
Three decades after landmark legislation established the U.S. Refugee Program on March 17, 1980, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, expresses a renewed commitment to the Church's resettlement arm, Episcopal Migration Ministries, and urges reforms that extend and expand the nation's response to the uprooted.