AS AMERICA struggles through the recession, the needs of refugees and others fleeing war and persecution should not be forgotten. In addition to providing international humanitarian aid, the United States has long been a leader in resettling refugees and welcoming them into our communities. Since 2000, about 25,000 refugees have arrived in New England, including 1,500 in Rhode Island.

The U.S. government’s approach to refugee resettlement has been largely hands-off, built on the assumption that employable adults will be quickly absorbed into the economy, that church and other nonprofit organizations will welcome refugees into their communities, and that other forms of social integration will naturally follow with minimal ongoing support. In fact, the U.S. economy has absorbed most employable refugees and has provided an important avenue for refugees to interact with U.S. society.

For example, the Providence Business News recently reported the story of Burundian refugee Jonathan Kabura, who, despite the overwhelming costs of rent, food, furniture, diapers and medicine, found full-time employment to support his family and is continuing his education.

Even with success stories like Mr. Kabura’s, the economic downturn has dramatically altered conditions facing refugees, and many now face unemployment and homelessness. As newcomers, refugees often lack the community networks and support that help many of us weather tough times.

Typically, when refugees arrive, Lutheran Social Services of New England staffers greet them at the airport and aid them in finding housing and jobs and enrolling them in English classes. Now, refugees are taking longer to find jobs. Some cannot make rent payments and are facing eviction. Many openly worry that they must leave the United States to survive.

Few in our country fully understand the plight of refugees worldwide. Attempting to escape torture, persecution, and murderous threats to one’s entire family, refugees flee across country borders to refugee “camps,” squalid and dangerous places where conditions are sometimes worse than those they have fled.

Even before this economic downturn, we have seen troubling indications that the domestic refugee program needs reform. For years, Washington has neglected the domestic resettlement system, flat-lining funding even as populations requiring help expanded. In addition to a highly diverse assortment of refugees, torture survivors and trafficking victims are among those our agencies serve. Under the strain of the economic downturn, the national network of over 200 faith-based and secular organizations working in partnership with the government is on the brink of collapse.

Thankfully, President Obama has pledged $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees overseas. However, there must be greater attention paid to the needs of refugees once they arrive in the United States. We urge Congress and President Obama to take swift action to increase funding to support refugees in America and the communities that welcome them.

Lutheran Social Services of New England, in conjunction with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, has proudly served refugees for nearly seven decades, overcoming many challenges. But we are buckling under pressure. The U.S. resettlement program urgently needs reform. A new resettlement model should build on local community strengths, be more flexible in meeting the needs of diverse populations, and address the circumstances of non-employable refugees such as the elderly, youth and women isolated by household responsibilities.

This is a great time for the United States to offer new hope to refugees who have had to wait too long in vulnerable situations with their lives on hold — Sudanese in Chad and Central African Republic, Burmese in Thailand and Malaysia, and Iraqis displaced to neighboring countries. America has been a world leader in providing protection to refugees both abroad and at home. But we will not be able to sustain this humanitarian commitment without increased resources and thoughtful reform of the resettlement system.

Ralston H. Deffenbaugh Jr. is president of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and Heather L. Feltman is chief executive officer of Lutheran Social Services of New England.