Many among the at least 30,000 Afghan refugees headed to the US to escape the Taliban in Afghanistan are expected to be resettled in different cities in Texas state, the agency for refugee services has said.
An anticipated at least 30,000 Afghans could be resettled in the US in the coming weeks as they desperately flee Taliban control. Many Afghan refugees will be placed in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Austin cities of Texas.
Afghan nationals and their families, who aided the US military, are in grave danger and are seeking refuge in the US, Russell Smith, CEO of Refugee Services of Texas (RST) said in a statement.
So far, 107 families are confirmed to relocate to Austin in the next few weeks. Over the weekend, the Austin office ofT resettled a family of seven, and is gearing up to welcome four additional families this week. We know that this is just the beginning of this wave, andT stands ready to do our part in this crisis, Smith said.
He said that a staff member in their Dallas office is answering the call to deploy to Fort Lee and help with the newly arrived individuals and families.
Currently,T has been assured that it will settle 324 Afghans in the next few weeks across in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin, Smith said.
Refugee Services of Texas Area Director Mark Hagar told media that they are expecting across Texas to receive over 300 individuals in the next several weeks.
El Paso’s Fort Bliss will provide temporary housing for the Afghans who have applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), given to those who’ve in some way helped the military effort the past 20 years.
“The term SIV gets tossed around a lot. But essentially, they are veterans because they did support our coalition forces,” Hagar said.
Hagar said that the focus is trying to remove the obstacles for those who will be resettled through what must be an immediate humanitarian response to meet the needs of people looking for help and hope coming to America.
“We’re getting cases announced basically every day right now. It’s been a quick turnaround,” he said.
Some of the refugees will stay in Texas, but others will be able to go to any state or city where they have maybe a family member or a friend.
RST is working with national refugee resettlement partners and the US government to offer protection and resettlement opportunities to these brave Afghans and their families.
We have an obligation as Americans to support those who gave everything to help our nation, and we must act now to ensure these refugees are evacuated and transported to safety, the statement said.
Reports suggest that at least 30,000 Afghans may be resettled in the US in the coming weeks, and many will be temporarily housed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
The incoming Afghans have applied for SIVs, which will qualify them to be resettled byT and other resettlement agencies across the nation.
The US has previously resettled thousands of SIV holders to keep its promise to protect those who have given everything to help our nation, and we must make good on those promises once again.
Every year, SIV recipients represent a large percentage of the forcibly displaced individuals.
RST has welcomed over 2,400 SIV’s from Afghanistan and Iraq since 2010.
Each year, we assist 35-40 per cent of the SIVs who resettle in Texas, and 4-6 per cent of all SIVs who come to the US, theT said in the statement.
Guided by the principles of human compassion and dignity,T, founded in 1978, welcomes refugees, immigrants, and other displaced people and supports them in integrating and thriving in their new communities.
Originating in Dallas,T now has service centers in Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Rio Grande Valley.
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