HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—Connecticut refugee organization leaders joined U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal on the steps of the State Capitol Monday to call for support in helping Afghan allies.
After the U.S. officially withdrew all combat troops from Afghanistan, Blumenthal released a statement in which he said, "I am devastated for the tens of thousands of Afghan allies we are leaving behind... We have a moral obligation to our Afghan allies who face retribution and revenge from the Taliban for their cooperation with the United States. We cannot abandon them – we must continue fighting for them. I will continue pressing this administration to use every point of leverage to evacuating the many Afghans who are at grave risk."
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In the statement, Blumenthal also expressed his readiness to help resettlement organizations get the resources they need so incoming refugee families can build a new life in the U.S.
The New Haven-based nonprofit organization Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) is prepared to resettle as many as 700 refugees this year, according to President Barbara Davis of the Danbury Area Refugee Assistance (DARA) which is a co-sponsored group with IRIS.
Though efforts have been underway for some time, there are still challenges that refugee resettlement groups are facing as they prepare for an influx of refugees in the coming weeks.
"One of the biggest challenges right now is going to be housing. Affordable housing to help these families get set up initially while they're also looking for jobs and taking ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, that is going to be one of the biggest priorities," Davis said.
Housing becomes even more challenging when there's short notice of a refugee's arrival, Davis said.
IRIS has already received 11 Afghan families in the last week, she explained, and with only a 24-hour notice of their arrival, those families are currently housed in hotel rooms.
The refugee services team at the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI) is working with local, state and national partners to ensure that a support system is in place for incoming refugees, CIRI President and CEO Susan Schnitzer said.
CIRI is expected to start receiving refugee families in the next week or two, Schnitzer said, and they're also expecting a 24 to 48 hour notice period before the families arrive.
Besides finding those families temporary housing units, Schnitzer said work is also being done to ensure other resources are available, including medical and behavioral health care, employment opportunities and educational support.
The Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (CIRC) is currently raising funds to cover processing fees for Humanitarian Parole applications which costs $575 per person.
Humanitarian Parole, CIRC Executive Director Bob Fishman explained, is for refugees whose families wanted to stay in Afghanistan to help rebuild the country but are now in a desperate need to flee because of the danger the Taliban poses.
"We have raised over $10,000. We need to raise at least another $30,000," to help the family of an Afghan refugee who has lived in the U.S. for over 15 years and worked as a translator for the U.S. army, Fishman said. The costs will support the fees of 51 family members, he said.
The Afghan refugee pleaded for help on the North Steps of the Capitol building as Blumenthal and the CT refugee group leaders stood alongside him. Listen to his story below:
To learn more and to help in any refugee resettlement efforts, you can visit the websites of IRIS, DARA, CIRI or CIRC.