This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for refugee resettlement in the U.S., leaders of three refugee groups argue in a recent opinion piece for Religion News Service.
About 35,000 Afghan evacuees are still waiting on U.S. military bases for the chance to be resettled in communities where they can start their new lives, note Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS, Richard Santos, president and CEO of Church World Service, and Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
.”Each of our organizations has deployed staff members to the military bases to help with processing and welcoming Afghan families. They have told us about the inspiring resilience, strength and optimism they have encountered there,” they wrote.
Military bases were never meant to be a long-term solution, they note. “It is time for these families to finally start the next chapter of their lives in their new homes. As the leaders of three of the nation’s nine resettlement agencies, we know resettling these newest neighbors will require all the resources, creativity and compassion the United States has to offer. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for refugee resettlement in this country.”
After nearly five years of historically low refugee arrivals, “our local partners are just now rebuilding. They are hiring staff; contacting landlords, employers and schools; and otherwise getting ready to welcome Afghan families into their communities. While they are working around the clock to prepare and welcome Afghan families, we simply can’t do it all on our own.”
Across the nation, “Americans from all backgrounds must come together to welcome Afghan families.”
Click here for the full opinion piece.
The Immigration and Refugee News Digest 