Americans “Uniting for Ukraine” shows that we can – and should – do more to support displaced people. Let’s start with the 1,800 asylum seekers in Portland.

As I hear stories of Ukrainian newcomers arriving in communities across the U.S., I’m reminded of my own experience fleeing Afghanistan in search of safety. I know first-hand the heartbreak of leaving loved ones, the terror of crossing borders on foot, and the relief that comes with finally finding refuge. That’s why, as a U.S. citizen naturalized last September, I am so proud to see my new country – and my new home state of Maine – rise to the occasion to offer safe harbor to Ukrainians displaced by war.

At the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC), where I work, we’ve received hundreds of calls from community members eager to donate housing, food, clothing, and money to aid Ukrainians arriving in local cities as part of the “Uniting for Ukraine” program recently launched by the Biden Administration.

Answering these phone calls has been inspiring but bittersweet for me. These generous offers of aid for displaced Ukrainians contrast sharply with the lukewarm response that 1,800 Congolese and Angolan asylum seekers received when they arrived in communities across Maine over the last year. The city of Portland, where I live, has recently announced that it can no longer guarantee housing for newly arrived asylum seekers. As Mainers offer spare rooms to Ukrainians, other displaced families, long languishing in hotels and temporary shelters, now face homelessness in our city.

Across the country, more than 48,000 Americans have signed up to provide direct sponsorship to displaced Ukrainians. Yet, just over 6,500 Ukrainians have arrived to date. This incredible, inspiring outpouring of private support – along with the $54 billion being invested in military, economic, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine – suggests that this country, including our community in Portland, has the resources and room to support more refugees and asylum seekers, if only we can find the resolve.

There has, perhaps, never been a more critical time to expand our humanitarian aid system – and to ensure we’re doing so in a fair and equitable way. Last month, the United Nations reported that a record-level 100 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes, not only in Ukraine but also Afghanistan, Yemen, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and beyond.

Now is the time to ensure that the outpouring of support being rightfully extended to Ukrainians becomes the new standard of aid for everyone seeking safety here. There are four key opportunities to address the inequities.

First, “Uniting for Ukraine” offers an innovative private sponsorship model that allows people in the U.S. to directly receive and support displaced Ukrainians, bringing them to safety far faster than the standard refugee resettlement process, which can take up to 24 months. Expanding private sponsorship would ensure the U.S. meets its stated goal of resettling 125,000 global refugees – people displaced from countries other than Ukraine – this fiscal year. Reform is urgent: Fewer than 13,000 refugees have arrived in the U.S. as of May.

Second, under “Uniting for Ukraine,” tens of thousands of Ukrainians are entering the U.S. with temporary protection called humanitarian parole. Yet, at the U.S. southern border, thousands of asylum seekers and others are being automatically expelled under Title 42. The policy was set to end last month, but a federal judge blocked its repeal. Extending humanitarian parole would allow the Biden Administration to protect the internationally recognized human right to seek asylum.

Third, displaced Ukrainians arriving in the U.S. under “Uniting for Ukraine” will receive federal financial support for housing, food, transportation, and other basic needs. The federal government should provide similar financial aid to local governments – like the City of Portland – to provide housing for other groups of displaced people, including asylum seekers.

And finally, “Uniting for Ukraine” creates a pathway to self-sufficiency that would benefit other newcomers. While asylum seekers admitted to the U.S. must wait 180 days before applying for a work permit, Ukrainians arriving under “Uniting for Ukraine” can promptly apply for a social security number and employment authorization. The ability to work helps families secure housing, afford food and medicine, and—most importantly—begin to heal and rebuild their lives after experiencing trauma and loss.

“Uniting for Ukraine” embodies the same American compassion and generosity that buoyed me when I sought asylum in the U.S. six years ago. By extending the benefits of this program to people displaced from other nations, the Biden administration can catalyze this dark moment in human history into a movement towards a safe harbor for my fellow asylum seekers in Maine and beyond.

— Special to the Press Herald