We have a proud tradition in the United States of being a beacon of hope for those facing persecution around the world.
We love to support the underdog and rescue those who are being oppressed.
But this international organization is sounding a warning that Christians are facing rampant discrimination from this unlikely source.
Open Doors issues latest report on Christian resettlement in the U.S. revealing a startling trend
Open Doors was founded in 1955 to support Christians facing persecution from Communist governments in Europe.
The founder, Brother Andrew began his mission by risking his life to smuggle Bibles to those in need and it has led to nearly 70 years of service.
The group grew and so did Brother Andrew’s mission.
By 1975, the Open Doors was operating in China, which led them to their greatest achievement.
Under their Project Pearl initiative, the group delivered over 1 million Bibles in one night to persecuted Christians in China.
Today, the group continues to support Christians through advocacy in “safer” Western nations.
They started their “Closed Doors” report in 2020, which documents “the number of Christian refugees resettled to the U.S.” from countries listed on their World Watch List.
A startling trend is beginning in America, and it should be a warning to Christians around the world.
Nearly 70 percent less persecuted Christians accepted into the U.S. from 2016 to 2022
The report opens with a letter from the President & CEO of World Relief, Myal Greene, as well as the CEO of Open Doors US, Ryan Brown.
The letter informs readers that Christian refugees are having a harder time gaining asylum status in the U.S.
According to Open Doors, Christian resettlement dropped dramatically from 2016, when over 32,000 Christian refugees were accepted into the United States.
In 2022, at a time of skyrocketing illegal immigration, only 9,528 Christians were given refuge.
That represents a 70 percent decline in the number of Christians offered protection when applying from the 50 countries on the World Watch List.
These countries are considered the most dangerous places for Christians to live and have long been a focus of Open Doors.
The report warns that one in every seven Christians around the world face “high levels of persecution and discrimination,” and while the U.S. used to be a haven, it’s now turning the persecuted away.
Open Doors says that “recent shifts in U.S. policy reveal that America is no longer the safe haven for displaced persons that it once was.”
Unfortunately, people facing real persecution are being put in the same line as other migrants, falsely claiming that they are in need of asylum.
Asylum system is overwhelmed, and restrictions are leaving Christians in perilous situations
Biden created a new rule for the Department of Homeland Security in May that changes eligibility standards for asylum seekers.
The new CBP One App was “designed to request asylum appointments” and has led to an influx of applications.
The report says that there are “significantly fewer appointment slots than the number of individuals seeking to request asylum, creating a situation that some have described as an ‘asylum lottery.’”
VP at World Relief, Matt Soerens explains the American asylum program is “a lifeline for persecuted Christians who were unsafe where they were living and whose only hope was to get to a safe place.”
Soerens says the solution can be found in the bipartisan Dignity Act, which is still waiting on a House vote.
The legislation seeks to “dramatically expand the adjudication capacity at the border by increasing the number of judges and officers that…verify asylum claims.”
Christians around the world are waiting to see if something will be done about this major problem.
