Regardless Of Political Party Differences, Three Former US Presidents Unite To Help Afghan Refugees

JAKARTA - Regardless of political party background, three former US presidents, George W. Bush who is from the Republican Party and Bill Clinton and Barack Obama who are from the Democratic Party, have come together to help Afghan refugees.

The three, together with their respective wives, became part of Welcome.US, a coalition of advocacy groups to help Afghan refugees residing in the United States, following the international coalition's withdrawal from the country.

The platform, launched Tuesday, is expected to be an entry point to make it easier for Americans to donate, host refugee families through the home-rental app Airbnb Inc or find other ways to help, said co-chair of the positive effort John Brigdeland.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have arrived in the United States as part of the US evacuation. Many of them would be at risk if they remained under the Taliban, having worked with US and allied forces or with American and international agencies.

"Thousands of Afghans stood with us on the front lines of pushing for a safer world, and now they need our help," Bush and his wife Laura said in a statement.

Organizers say there has been an outpouring of bipartisan support for Afghan refugees, including Republican and Democratic governors who have signed on to the effort.

A number of US state and local leaders have said they would welcome refugees into their communities, although immigration remains a divisive issue in parts of the country.

Previously, under the administration of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, refugee admissions from around the world were slashed to their lowest level in decades, a policy that President Joe Biden, a Democrat, vowed to reverse.

Welcome.US also has the support of more than 280 US people and business entities such as Microsoft Corp, Starbucks Corp and CVS Health Corp, as well as non-profit organizations, veterans groups and resettlement agencies.

The administration of President Joe Biden is working to accommodate as many as 50,000 refugees at military bases in the United States. Others remain in processing centers near US airports where they land, and more refugees are in US installations or trapped in third countries overseas.

Several refugee organizations have pushed for the United States to adopt private or community sponsorship programs for individual refugees, similar to the model used in Canada, and see this coordinated national volunteer effort as one way to start the process.

"We want to take advantage of this moment and the great need to access all the capacity out there in the United States to support Afghan refugees," said Nazanin Ash of the International Rescue Committee at the Welcome.US launch.