One Proposal: The Coordinated Jesuit Response to the Ukraine Crisis

29 July 2025|JRS Europe

Related: Hungary, JRS Europe, Poland, Protection, Romania, Ukraine

JRS staff on the ground distributing food supplies to the refugee community in Ukraine.

Jesuits Unite for Ukraine: A Coordinated Catholic Humanitarian Response

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the humanitarian toll has been devastating. Millions have been forcibly displaced, making this one of the largest refugee crises in Europe since World War II. In response, Jesuit organizations around the world—including Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)—launched One Proposal, a coordinated Catholic response offering emergency aid, psychosocial support, and long-term assistance to Ukrainians and others displaced by the war.

What is the “One Proposal”?

The One Proposal is a global, unified humanitarian response from the Society of Jesus to the Ukraine refugee crisis. Developed through deep collaboration with the Xavier Network, the proposal ensures that Jesuit ministries—like JRS—can accompany, serve, and advocate for those fleeing conflict in Ukraine over the next three years.

This effort is coordinated by JRS Europe and implemented through:

23 JRS Country Offices
The Society of Jesus in Europe
Local civil society and NGO partners
The Xavier Network

➡️ Learn more about our work across Europe here.

Our Priorities: Welcome, Protect, Promote, and Integrate Refugees

The One Proposal supports forcibly displaced Ukrainians across Europe, from emergency aid inside Ukraine and at its borders, to long-term integration programs in countries like Portugal, Poland, and beyond.

This initiative also serves:

Internally displaced persons (IDPs)
Ukrainian refugees
Refugees of other nationalities affected by the war

The plan is guided by five strategic objectives:

1. Welcome: Accompany refugees with compassion, listen to their stories, and walk alongside them without prejudice or fear.

2. Protect: Defend the fundamental rights of displaced people, ensuring their dignity and freedoms are respected.

3. Promote: Empower refugees to take part in programs that support education, personal growth, and community leadership.

4. Integrate: Foster social inclusion and economic participation to reduce marginalization and build stronger, more cohesive societies.

5. Institutional Strengthening: Enhance the capacity of Jesuit organizations and networks to deliver a high-quality, large-scale humanitarian response.

These pillars shape JRS’s work across critical sectors, including:

Shelter and non-food item distribution
Emergency relief
Legal and health services
Psychosocial support
Education and livelihoods
Integration and peacebuilding
Advocacy and capacity-building

Our Impact So Far

Since the onset of the war, JRS and Jesuit partners have been on the front lines of the response.

In Ukraine, our teams provide:

Shelter in Lviv
Emergency humanitarian aid
Safe transportation out of conflict zones

In bordering countries like Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, we assist:

Women and children with accommodation and essentials
Refugees seeking legal assistance, education, and psychosocial care

Across Western Europe, in countries of secondary movement, JRS offices provide:

Legal and employment support
Safe housing
Basic necessities and community programs

Built on Research, Rooted in Refugee Voices

The One Proposal is the result of thorough analysis, collaboration, and feedback from partners and displaced people themselves. It ensures that the Jesuit response to the Ukraine crisis remains grounded in accompaniment, solidarity, and action.

2025 Interim Report

Since the start of the international armed conflict in Ukraine, the organizations of the Jesuits have served and accompanied 144,370 people fleeing violence. Coordinated by Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe and the Xavier Network, and in collaboration with JRS country offices, NGOs, and local partners, the Society of Jesus, through its One Proposal initiative, has aided approximately 131,487 people in Ukraine and neighboring countries and 12,883 through the Integration Fund in countries of second destination for Ukrainian refugees.