May 9, 2022 - Economy & Business
Amazon will help refugee employees obtain citizenship
- Hope King, author of Axios Closer
The George Washington Bridge hangs its 60x90-foot American flag. Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Amazon is partnering with the National Immigration Forum, an advocacy group based in D.C., to help refugee and humanitarian-based immigrant employees obtain citizenship, the group announced Monday.
Details: The partnership is an extension of Amazon's Welcome Door program, which launched about a month ago.
- Through the program, eligible Amazon employees receive free social, legal and financial support, such as mentorship, skills training — which includes college tuition — and reimbursement for work authorization fees.
- The program has been offered to employees in the U.S. starting in April, with the company planning to expand it globally by the end of the year.
The big picture: Amazon and nearly three dozen major companies, including Facebook, Uber and UPS, committed to hiring and training Afghan refugees last fall.
- In March, more than 50 companies, including Amazon, vowed to support people fleeing Ukraine.
What to watch: The U.S. expects to admit up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. More than 76,000 Afghans have been brought to the U.S. so far this year.