Jesuit Refugee Service

JRS was founded in November 1980 by Fr. Pedro Arrupe SJ, the then superior general of the Society of Jesus, to respond to the plight of Vietnamese boat people fleeing their war-ravaged homeland.{{cite web |last1=Raper |first1=Mark |title=Forced Migration and Jesuit Refugee Service: Past, Present, and Future |url=https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/centers/humanrights/pdf/M%20%20Raper%20symposium%20paper%20March%202013.pdf |publisher=Boston College |access-date=12 March 2021}}

Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese fled their homes, setting out in overcrowded boats across the South China Sea. Many did not survive the journey; they were killed by pirates, or drowned because of storms and rough seas. Fr Arrupe felt compelled to act. He called on the Jesuits "to bring at least some relief to such a tragic situation."{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Fr Arrupe wrote to over 50 Jesuit provinces regarding the situation, recognising that the Jesuits, then numbering 27,000 men across the world, were well-placed to coordinate a global humanitarian response.

As conflicts broke out in Central and Latin America, southeastern Europe, and across Africa, JRS rapidly grew from helping Vietnamese boat people in a few camps in Southeast Asia to working with refugees around the world.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Nearly 20 years after its founding, JRS was officially registered as a foundation of the Vatican City State on 19 March 2000.{{cite web |title=Jesuit Refugee Service |url=https://www.refworld.org/publisher/JRS.html |website=refworld |access-date=12 March 2021 |archive-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801000601/https://www.refworld.org/publisher/JRS.html |url-status=dead }}

Today, JRS works in over 55 countries serving more than 1.5 million people.

JRS's mission is to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, that they may heal, learn, and determine their own future.

As an international humanitarian NGO, JRS strives to implement the magis ideal of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. One of the key messages of the 35th Jesuit General Congregation (2008) was to reach new physical, cultural, religious and social frontiers, to those who are estranged,[http://www.sjweb.info/35/documents/Decrees.pdf General Congregation 35, Decree 1. Accessed 20 May 2016.] a task confirmed by two Popes.{{Cite web|url=https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2008/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080221_gesuiti.html|title=To the Fathers of the General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (February 21, 2008) {{!}} BENEDICT XVI|website=w2.vatican.va|access-date=2017-10-25}} The search for new frontiers has taken JRS to places where refugees face deprivation and abuse of their basic rights: traditional refugee camps, detention centres and prisons, conflict zones, border areas, and in the heart of big cities, including Iraq and Syria.{{Cite news|url=http://ncronline.org/blogs/faith-and-justice/jesuit-refugee-service-brings-help-syria-crisis|title=Jesuit Refugee Service brings help to a Syria in crisis|date=2015-06-04|work=National Catholic Reporter|access-date=2017-10-25|language=en}}

On 24 May 2019, Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa called all Jesuits to "renewed commitment" to JRS in accord with the Jesuits' newly promulgated apostolic preferences, endorsed by Pope Francis. For its part JRS is restructuring to produce "strong country offices that will strengthen local capacity and encourage subsidiarity." JRS defined its priorities for 2019-2023 as, "the promotion of reconciliation and social cohesion; the delivery of quality formal and informal education; innovative livelihood programmes that lead to self-reliance and sustainability; and effective advocacy for the rights of refugees."{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/world/renewed-commitment-jesuit-refugee-service-letter-superior-general|title=Renewed commitment of the Jesuit Refugee Service – A letter from the Superior General - World|date=24 May 2019|website=OCHA: ReliefWeb|language=en|access-date=2019-05-24}}

JRS is a signatory to the Immunization Agenda 2030 pledge, seeking to increase the worldwide uptake of vaccines in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.{{Cite web |title=Show Your Support |url=https://www.immunizationagenda2030.org/pledge-support |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010005834/http://www.immunizationagenda2030.org/pledge-support |archive-date=2022-10-10 |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Immunization Agenda 2030}}

In deciding with whom to work, JRS finds the scope of existing international conventions is too restrictive.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e866|chapter=Refugees|doi=10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/e866|language=en|access-date=2019-05-24|title=Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law|year=2010|last1=Dieter|first1=Kugelmann|isbn=9780199231690}} It therefore applies the expression 'de facto refugee' to all "persons persecuted because of race, religion, membership of social or political groups"; to "the victims of armed conflicts, erroneous economic policy or natural disasters"; and, for "humanitarian reasons", to internally displaced persons, that is, civilians who "are forcibly uprooted from their homes by the same type of violence as refugees but who do not cross national frontiers."{{Cite news|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/world/expert-statement-internally-displaced-persons|title=Expert Statement on Internally Displaced Persons|date=2015-10-06|work=ReliefWeb|access-date=2017-10-25|language=English}}

Since the above definition refers only to individuals in fear of persecution, regional organisations in both Africa (African Union 1969) and Latin America (Organisation for American States 1984) have developed wider definitions which include mass displacements which occur as a result of social and economic collapse in the context of conflict. JRS strives by "accompaniment" to respect the human dignity of all refugees throughout their ordeal.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jrsusa.org/accompaniment|title=Jesuit Refugee Service {{!}} North America {{!}} JRS Accompanies|last=jrsusa|website=www.jrsusa.org|access-date=2017-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114212117/https://www.jrsusa.org/accompaniment|archive-date=14 January 2018|url-status=dead}}

On the website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, detailed recent reports are given of JRS work under the following categories: Country Reports, Fact Finding Reports, Handbooks/Manuals, Legal Articles/Analyses/Commentaries, Policy/Position Papers, Regional Reports, and Thematic Reports.{{Cite news|url=http://www.refworld.org/publisher/JRS.html|title=Refworld {{!}} Jesuit Refugee Service|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|work=Refworld|access-date=2017-10-25|language=en|archive-date=1 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801000601/https://www.refworld.org/publisher/JRS.html|url-status=dead}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.jrs.net/ Official website]
• {{cite web|title=Jesuit Refugee Service|url=http://www.refworld.org/publisher/JRS.html|publisher=UNHCR|access-date=24 July 2015|archive-date=1 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801000601/https://www.refworld.org/publisher/JRS.html|url-status=dead}}

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Category:Charities based in Italy

Category:Emergency organizations

Category:Christian refugee aid organizations

Category:Jesuit development centres

Category:Christian organizations established in 1980

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Category:Peace organizations

Category:International educational charities

Category:Refugee aid organizations

Category:Catholic organizations