ISSUES
Support Refugee and International Students this Welcoming Week and Beyond
Posted: September 15, 2022
Modified: October 17, 2022
ISSUES
Posted: September 15, 2022
Modified: October 17, 2022
SUPPORT REFUGEE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THIS WELCOMING WEEK AND BEYOND
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2022
Contact: Jose Magaña-Salgado (jose@presidentsalliance.org)
Washington, D.C.— This week, the Presidents’ Alliance is proud to join higher education institutions and communities in celebrating Welcoming Week 2022 – a chance to spotlight why expanding opportunities for refugees and international students is good for students, campuses, and our broader society. Over the past year, our country has taken important steps to be more welcoming to these student populations, with more on the horizon for the coming year. Below, find an overview of how we can support refugee and international students this Welcoming Week and beyond:
Refugee Students
Laura Wagner, Project Manager for the Presidents’ Alliance Initiative on U.S. Education Pathways for Refugee Students, stated: “The Biden administration has affirmed its commitment to refugee resettlement by welcoming tens of thousands of displaced Afghans and Ukrainians over the past year and through its stated commitment to resettle 125,000 refugees in FY23. The accompanying Report to Congress also recognized the importance of building on last year’s important progress on private sponsorship and specifically identified the crucial role higher education institutions can play in sponsoring refugee students.”
International Students
Jill Welch, Senior Policy Advisor, stated: “International students and scholars strengthen our national priorities of building a stronger economy and ensuring the United States remains a world leader in innovation. While this administration has already taken several important steps in the midst of heightened competition from other nations for these talented students and scholars, we need a coordinated, government-wide initiative to not only remove remaining barriers but to proactively incentivize these individuals to choose the United States first among their many options.
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The nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings college and university presidents and chancellors together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, our students, campuses, communities and nation. We work to advance just immigration policies and practices at the federal, state, and campus level that are consistent with our heritage as a nation of immigrants and the academic values of equity and openness. The Alliance is composed of over 550 presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.