Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor….Sometimes

Dear Leading Ladies,

Since the inception of Leading Ladies, humane immigration policies have been among our priorities. Because of a zero tolerance policy during the last presidential administration, thousands of children were separated from their parents at our southern border. Hundreds have since been reunited, but far from all.

A new crisis at a different border

And now we are confronted with another crisis of children being separated from their parents. This time, it is far away and not caused by any policy of our government. Instead, the horror is the war in Ukraine, which is forcing parents to separate from each other as mothers and children escape to countries as refugees. Mothers are then sometimes forced to leave their children in the care of strangers who may not speak their language or have beds for them to sleep in. According to a recent Boston Globe editorial, “UNICEF estimates that a Ukrainian child has become a refugee almost every single second since the war began.”These children are victims of a cruel and vicious war perpetrated by a man of little conscience who thinks nothing of committing crimes against humanity.

Photo from Unicef

As we look at our own children and grandchildren, we realize we need to find more ways to help these children and their families.

Not a moment too soon

Last week, President Biden finally announced a new policy that calls for the US “to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia’s aggression through the full range of legal pathways, including the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.” The plan is to “expand and develop new programs with a focus on welcoming Ukrainians who have family members in the United States.” The new plan continues to reflect the administration's belief that “many Ukrainians will choose to remain in Europe close to family and their homes in Ukraine.” It is of note that, in 2019, there were 1,009,874 Americans of Ukrainian descent in the US.

The news is encouraging, especially since previously the US would commit only to allowing refugees who have relatives already living here to enter our country. The new policy, although it still emphasizes helping those with family in the US, at least opens the door for other Ukrainian refugees. In addition, the president recently announced granting Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainians already in the U.S. by March 1, allowing them to stay legally and work for at least the next 18 months. Also, U.S. embassies and consulates near Ukraine are expediting visa processing for immediate family members of U.S. citizens, but the process seems stymied by inadequate staffing to meet the need.

While the US is at last moving beyond its considerable contribution of funds and military support, the slow response is disappointing. Another crisis such as the one in Ukraine will arise, probably in our lifetime. Can’t we prepare to move more swiftly to respond in the future? The Globe editorial suggests that we should rebuild our resettlement infrastructure so it is better able to respond quickly in a crisis going forward (and for Ukrainians over the long haul).

Of course what remains most urgent right now is to begin to issue humanitarian parole visas that would allow Ukrainians, including those without family here, to remain in the US for at least two years.

It seems hard to imagine that our government couldn’t figure out how to overcome the legal hurdles, such as passport requirements, in order to give refugee status to those displaced by the war. Emergencies require drastic and immediate measures. With all that is done so quickly in our fast-moving world, including the declaration of war, can’t we take care of the most vulnerable with some alacrity?

How Ireland is helping

Other countries have found ways around their usual time-consuming policies to answer the call immediately and effectively. As of March, 13,500 refugees were able to enter Ireland without visas and were immediately offered health care and benefits. The Irish government is prepared to take up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Prime Minister Micheál Martin said a humanitarian response "trumps anything." Ireland, which does not belong to NATO, remains militarily neutral, and, therefore, sends only "non-lethal" aid to Ukraine, such as medical supplies, body armor, and helmets.

The UK, meanwhile, with a population less than a quarter of that of the US, has committed to accept up to 200,000 Ukrainian refugees and established a monthly stipend system to encourage residents to house them.

The EU (Poland is the hero) steps up

As for European Union (EU) countries, they have promised to guarantee Ukrainian refugees at least 12 months of residency in any EU nation, and provide them with lodging and health care, school for their children, and the right to work. The refugees will be spared the usual asylum procedures imposed on migrants. In addition, Ukrainians are free to travel to other EU states, even if they don't possess passports.

And, to put things in perspective, Poland has already accepted 2,144,244 refugees from Ukraine. The United States is 3,045% larger than Poland in area, and has 294.4 million more people. The population of Poland is 37,756,385, about 16% of whom are ethnic Ukrainians. In recent years, up to two million Ukrainians have been temporary migrant workers in Poland, working in agriculture and construction, so, admittedly, the two countries are closely intertwined.

Hail Canada

Closer to home, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser announced two weeks ago that Ukrainians may come to Canada for up to three years (originally, it was going to be only two years). Furthermore, Ukrainians and their immediate family members of any nationality are being offered temporary residency and the ability to work or study while in Canada. It is estimated to take an average of only two weeks for applicants online to be approved! The government is also creating a job bank for Canadians to post open jobs for the arriving Ukrainians. Any refugees who wish to stay in Canada permanently will be guided through a reunification process. Fraser said more than 9,000 Ukrainians have come to Canada since late January, with approximately the same number of applications still in processing. A tax credit may be offered to those who house the refugees.

Furthermore, Canada says there will be "no limit" for Ukrainian applications for both temporary and permanent residency. For comparison, the US has ten times as many people as Canada – 336,031,546 vs 36,983,180. In 2016, an estimated 1,359,655 persons of full or partial Ukrainian origin resided in Canada (the majority being Canadian-born citizens).

What can we do?

Let your representatives, senators, and the president know that you care about helping Ukrainian refugees. Write to them and call them to encourage them to fast track changes that will allow refugees – not just those with family members already here – to enter the US if they so choose.

As the US opens to Ukrainian refugees, they will need places to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear. Please share with us, and we will with you, groups and people who are organizing to provide these necessities to refugees arriving in our communities. Ukraine Take Shelter, a site just developed by two Harvard students, is one place to sign up to be a host.

As we watch the news and view the crimes against humanity perpetrated by Putin and his henchmen, as we witness the mothers and children running from their homes with only the clothes on their backs, we recall the stories of other European refugees of 80 years ago – the grandparents of some of us – who depended on the kindness of strangers and of foreign governments to save them. The United States should be remembered as opening our ports to today’s now-stateless people, not turning them away as we did when the SS St. Louis tried to dock in 1939 with more than 900 Jews from Germany who were trying to escape from Hitler’s Nazi state. A third of them then died in the Holocaust.

Today’s America should be on the right side of history when this war ends.

Our hearts are with the Ukrainian mothers and their families.

Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org