To: Secretary of State John Kerry
Support the Olympic Refugee team
The ten remarkable refugee athletes taking part in the Olympic games deserve to capture the world's attention. This powerful moment in history can spur policies that would help tens of millions of people like them who have been forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution.
Secretary of State Kerry, restore the refugee admission rate to 200,000 people, as it was when the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed.
Secretary of State Kerry, restore the refugee admission rate to 200,000 people, as it was when the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed.
Why is this important?
This year, the International Olympic Committee made history by announcing the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team. These ten athletes are worldwide heroes, and have captured the world’s attention and admiration during the Olympic games.
These athletes have each faced incredible odds. Yusra Mardini, who fled the violence in Syria, risked her life to save the lives of 19 others—diving into the treacherous waters of the Aegean Sea and using her Olympic swimming skill to push a sinking boat to land. She swam in freezing waters for more than three hours—and surviving the sea was just one small part of her journey to safety.
Just like Yusra, 34,000 people are forcibly displaced every day—and those fleeing violence in their home countries need our compassion and support now.
Right-wing politicians want to limit the number of families fleeing violence that the United States helps—some have even called on the U.S. to stop accepting refugees all together, a policy radically out of line with American values.
Secretary of State Kerry has the authority to restore the United States refugee acceptance rate back to 200,000 people, as it was when the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed. Kerry announced that the U.S. would accept 100,000 refugees a year starting in 2017–but surely the United States can offer a safe haven for so many more–as we have in the past.
These athletes have each faced incredible odds. Yusra Mardini, who fled the violence in Syria, risked her life to save the lives of 19 others—diving into the treacherous waters of the Aegean Sea and using her Olympic swimming skill to push a sinking boat to land. She swam in freezing waters for more than three hours—and surviving the sea was just one small part of her journey to safety.
Just like Yusra, 34,000 people are forcibly displaced every day—and those fleeing violence in their home countries need our compassion and support now.
Right-wing politicians want to limit the number of families fleeing violence that the United States helps—some have even called on the U.S. to stop accepting refugees all together, a policy radically out of line with American values.
Secretary of State Kerry has the authority to restore the United States refugee acceptance rate back to 200,000 people, as it was when the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed. Kerry announced that the U.S. would accept 100,000 refugees a year starting in 2017–but surely the United States can offer a safe haven for so many more–as we have in the past.