Financial support for Ukrainian refugees at risk as US faces budget gaps

The US Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is facing a budget shortfall and currently lacks the necessary funds to provide ongoing financial support to refugees arriving from Ukraine for humanitarian purposes.

This information was confirmed by the press service of the Administration for Children and Families within the US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the ORR, in response to the inquiry from the Russian state-run news agency TASS, per Caliber.Az.

The department explained that while Congress had allocated special funding in 2022 and 2024 to assist Ukraine and its refugees, there is no supplemental funding approved for fiscal year 2025 to continue providing financial support to those arriving from Ukraine under a humanitarian passport.

The ORR clarified, "While ORR has no such supplemental appropriation for FY 2025 for petitioners arriving from Ukraine under a humanitarian passport, eligible individuals arriving from Ukraine for humanitarian reasons will continue to receive benefits and services funded by ORR." This indicates that refugees can still access some support but without additional financial backing for the next fiscal year.

The status of those arriving under a humanitarian passport is temporary, and individuals must apply for its renewal at a US immigration office no later than one day before their status expires if they wish to continue receiving financial assistance.

While the application for renewal is pending, the applicant may continue to receive assistance, but if the renewal is denied, the applicant must stop receiving benefits and may be required to partially reimburse the agency for its support costs from the date he or she loses humanitarian status.