Newark Archdiocese Will Resettle Syrian Refugees In Essex, Hudson, N.J.

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Syrian refugees will find some solace in Essex and Hudson counties next month when the Archdiocese of Newark begins to resettle 51 asylum seekers from several nations this year, a report says.

The archdiocese plans to resettle at least 51 refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year, NorthJersey.com reported Thursday. The refugees will begin arriving in late January and will be settled in Essex and Hudson counties.

“There is no political agenda there… this is just what the church does,” archdiocese spokesman Jim Goodness told NorthJersey.com.

The archdiocese’s announcement comes about a month after the appointment of Newark Archbishop and potential pope successor, Joseph Tobin, who made national headlines last year when he said that his archdiocese would continue to welcome Syrian refugees in Indiana despite moves against resettlement by then-Gov. Mike Pence.

• See related article: Will The Next Pope Come From NJ? New Archbishop Appointed In Newark

The Newark Archdiocese’s position on refugee resettlement stands in contrast to previous statements from President-elect Donald Trump and several prominent New Jersey politicians such as Gov. Chris Christie, who have been vocally opposed to the idea of welcoming Syrian asylum seekers.

Since the onset of the country’s civil war in 2011, an estimated 11 million Syrians have fled their homes to nearby nations such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, and European nations such as Germany and Sweden, in addition to the United States.

New Jersey has the ninth largest population of Syrian refugees in America, according to the U.S. State Department.

• See related article: Syrian Refugees In N.J.: Who Are They, And Where Do They Live?
• See related article: Christie Issues New N.J. Position On Syrian Refugees

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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