U.S. Resettlement Program accepts 250 refugees in its first year

 

Chargé d’Affaires Jason Davis speaks to the refugees at the reception. Full Size

On May 28, a group of 13 refugees from Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan left Malta to begin a new life in the United States under the auspices of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program.  The departure brings the total number of refugees resettled in the U.S. since the program’s inception in May 2008 to over 250.  In honor of the occasion, Chargé d’Affaires Jason Davis hosted a reception to wish the refugees well in their new journeys.  Speaking at the reception, Mr. Davis noted that the refugee resettlement program shows America’s continuing commitment to help ease the burden that migration has placed on Malta, as well as its recognition of the enormous challenges and dangers that many of the migrants have faced.  He added that “the Program’s success is a tribute to continued hard work on the part of UNHCR, IOM, and the United States government, as well as many others here in Malta who have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of refugees in need of humanitarian assistance.”