Groups of Americans will be able to directly sponsor refugees for resettlement in the US under a new programme launching on Thursday, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, a step that could bolster admissions and reduce government costs.
Under the pilot programme, which will be called the Welcome Corps, groups of at least five people will be expected to raise a minimum of $2,275 per refugee assigned to them by the government, one of the people said.
The sponsor groups will also be required to pass background checks and create a support plan.
The programme will aim to find US sponsors for 5,000 refugees in fiscal year 2023, which ends on September 30, another of the sources said.
The individual sponsorship programme for refugees — similar to a model used in Canada — is part of a broader effort by US President Joe Biden to provide opportunities for Americans to support foreigners seeking protection.
Earlier this month, Mr Biden rolled out a humanitarian entry programme that allows up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter via “parole” if they have US sponsors and travel by air.
The administration also used parole to admit Afghans and Ukrainians and piloted sponsor programmes to support them in the US.
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The US border fence in Tijuana, Mexico. All photos: Willy Lowry / The National -

The entrance to Unidad Deportiva Benito Juarez, where hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are staying. -

Georg Bondarenko with his uncle in Tijuana, having fled Ukraine. -

Ukrainians are sleeping beside luggage in Tijuana. -

Children pick out toys from a donation box at the sports complex where Ukrainian refugees are staying in Tijuana. -

A young girl plays with a toy. -

Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are sleeping in the gymnasium in Tijuana. -

Victoria and her partner fled Kyiv for the US. Here they pose inside a refugee camp in Tijuana, Mexico. -

Sandra, a 21-year-old university student, waits to enter the US. -

Karina Konotopets fled Chernihiv at the start of the war. -

Ukrainians huddle around a makeshift charging station in Tijuana. -

Anastasiya Polo is one of the lead volunteers helping to organise the makeshift refugee camp in Tijuana. -

A woman carries a child on to a bus in Tijuana. -

A bus carrying refugees is parked in front of the sports complex where Ukrainians are staying in Tijuana. -

A young girl sits on a bus in Tijuana, waiting to enter the US. -

Ukrainian refugees walk up the pedestrian ramp to the PedWest point of entry into the United States. -

Ukrainian refugees wait to enter the US. -

The San Ysidro Port of Entry from Tijuana. -

A man wearing a sombrero and draped in Ukrainian flag welcomes refugees on the US side of the border. -

Victoria and her partner pose with a young child on the US side of the border. -

The controversial US border fence stretches for kilometres near Tijuana. -

The US border fence stretches towards the Pacific Ocean.
The Welcome Corps programme will bring in refugees through the US Refugee Resettlement Programme, which takes referrals from the UN and US embassies.
Mr Biden set a cap of 125,000 refugee admissions this fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2022, but only 6,750 arrived from October-December, according to programme data.
The US greatly curtailed refugee entries under former Republican president Donald Trump, who portrayed them as a security threat. Admissions have yet to rebound to pre-Trump levels.
Sasha Chanoff, founder of RefugePoint, which identifies people in need of resettlement, said the sponsorships could be one of the most significant developments for the US refugee programme since it began in 1980.
“It invites Americans to get involved in new ways,” he said.
Giant refugee puppet joins 'huddled masses' in New York — in pictures
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Little Amal, a giant puppet depicting a Syrian refugee girl, walks outside St Patrick's Cathedral in New York. AFP -

The puppet was built to raise awareness of the plight of displaced children seeking safety across borders. AFP -

She started her journey at the Syrian-Turkish border in July 2021. AFP -

Little Amal walks through Times Square in New York City. AFP -

On a 17-day tour of New York City, Little Amal will visit a variety of neighbourhoods while raising awareness about immigration and refugees. AFP -

Little Amal, who has been touring around the world, symbolises a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl. AFP -

She met Ukrainian refugees in Europe. AFP -

The puppet performs with members of New Victory LabWorks at the New York Public Library. AFP -

The tour, organised by The Walk Productions and St Ann's Warehouse, will cover all five boroughs at 55 events. AFP -

Little Amal at the New York Public Library. AFP -

Her producers chose New York because America and Europe are where the 'huddled masses' are welcome. AFP -

She was designed by the Handspring Puppet Company based in South Africa. AFP -

Little Amal walks around Grand Central Station. AP -

Newlyweds meet Little Amal. AFP -

Little Amal is trying to reach every corner of the Big Apple. AP
How to book
Call DHA on 800342
Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation text message
Present the SMS and your Emirates ID at the centre
DHA medical personnel will take a nasal swab
Check results within 48 hours on the DHA app under ‘Lab Results’ and then ‘Patient Services’
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
While you're here
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
While you're here
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Sholto Byrnes: In today's times, what is Nato really good for?
C Uday Bhaskar: Could the 'Quad' become Asia's new Nato?
WORLD CUP FINAL
England v South Africa
Yokohama International Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday, kick-off 1pm (UAE)
While you're here
Watch: Davos 2021 panel discusses the future of work for women
Alice Haine: Investing in gender parity 'makes good business sense'
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On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The%20US%20Congress%20explained
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
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BMW%20M4%20Competition
What is 'Soft Power'?
Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye.
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength.
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force.
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
While you're here
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange

