A Nether Providence man is helping refugees and asylum seekers from the northeast African nation of Eritrea settle in the United States, writes Leslie Krowchenko for Delco News Network.

John Stauffer, president of the American Team for Displaced Entreans, helps to resettle and conduct life-saving interventions for the refugees.

He’s fighting an immigration trend that is allowing fewer refugees into the United States.

“At the end of the Obama administration, the annual ceiling for all refugee admissions was 110,000, but the approved number for fiscal year 2020 is 18,000,” said Stauffer. “The number of Eritrean resettlements has fallen from 1,500-2,000 annually before 2017 to 1,269 in fiscal year 2018.”

Eritrea declared its independence from Ethiopia and gained international recognition in 1993. The nation is ruled by the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front, which banned political activity.

Thousands flee the county every month due to lack of basic human rights and rule of law and other abuses.

Refugees must now endure a long vetting process to enter the U.S. and there is a backlog in refugee and asylum cases.  They often must move to camps or cities in Africa, Europe or the U.S., vulnerable to human trafficking.

Read more about Eritrean refugees here.

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