No More Newcomers in New Bern
At least three of North Carolina’s fifteen local resettlement agencies may be unable to welcome refugees next year.
Catholic Charities Asheville, Catholic Charities Charlotte, and Interfaith Refugee Ministry have all been impacted by The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Episcopal Migration Ministries’ forced withdrawal from the U.S. Refugee Program.
Interfaith Refugee Ministry is one of the only resettlement agencies in eastern North Carolina—and the only office in New Bern.
New Bern is a city of migration, settled in 1710 by European immigrants, and has invested deeply in refugee resettlement. The City has regularly integrated refugees into their Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) planning, noting that the local business community “would like to tap into” underutilized refugee talent.
Asheville and Charlotte will similarly see their resettlement capacity cut in half.
It’s Time for a Bottom Line
North Carolina’s refugee program needs a bottom line: a guaranteed minimum number of refugees that ensures local offices can keep their doors open and their lights on—no matter who is in the Oval Office.
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