Utah is rolling out the welcome mat for hundreds of Afghan refugees who are coming to the Beehive State following the end of America’s longest war.
The two-decade combat mission that started in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks concluded with the departure of the final U.S. troops from Kabul’s airport on Aug. 30. Now, the Biden administration plans to resettle 95,000 refugees throughout the United States by September 2022. Eventually, 765 are expected to come to Utah.
Utahns stepped up right away to assist in the effort.
In an Aug. 17 letter, Gov. Spencer Cox told President Joe Biden that he is deeply saddened by the human tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan.
“I recognize Utah plays no direct role in shaping U.S. diplomatic or military policy, but we have a long history of welcoming refugees from around the world and helping them restart their lives in a new country,” Cox wrote. “We are eager to continue that practice and assist with the resettlement of individuals and families fleeing Afghanistan, especially those who valiantly helped U.S. troops, diplomats, journalists, and other civilians over the past 20 years.”
The governor said Utah’s history guides its approach to refugees.
“Our state was settled by refugees fleeing religious persecution 170 years ago.”
Gov. Spencer Cox
“Our state was settled by refugees fleeing religious persecution 170 years ago,” Cox said in the letter. “Their descendants have a deep understanding of the danger and pain caused by forced migration and an appreciation for the wonderful contributions of refugees in our communities.”
The state is taking a #OneUtah approach to welcome and support the Afghan refugees. The governor’s Refugee Advisory Board – which is run by the Department of Workforce Services, Refugee Services Office – is aligning the efforts of the two resettlement agencies in the state, the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services of Utah, and other partners.
The board is composed of three task groups – housing, basic needs and community – and they are bringing together businesses, landlords, government agencies, advocacy groups, service providers and the public to meet the refugees’ needs.
Federal funding provides help for refugees who have special immigrant visas because they worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government.
Under immigration law, Afghans who do not have a visa are given humanitarian parole to legally enter the United States. The majority of the new arrivals are parolees and they are allowed to work but they are not eligible for the same federal benefits provided to the refugees with special immigrant visas.
BRIDGING THE FUNDING GAP
No state dollars are used for resettling refugees so in October, Cox announced the launch of the Afghan Community Fund, which is designed to pay for medical services, food, household and other basic necessities for the new arrivals when government funding isn’t enough.
The public-private collaboration includes the Refugee Services Office, Zion’s Bank, the resettlement agencies, Utah Muslim Civic League and the World Trade Center Utah.
The fund is co-chaired by Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank, and Naja Pham Lockwood, founder and CEO of RYSE Media. The two are urging Utahns to give what they can.
Lockwood, who came to the United States in 1975 as a refugee from Vietnam, talked about how Catholic Relief Services gave her family winter coats and boots when they got to Massachusetts and how local women came to her school during lunch breaks to teach her English.
“I grew up loving America because I was loved by America,” Lockwood said. “As a refugee, I’ve seen your love firsthand and I hope we in Utah can be a model for the rest of the nation in welcoming Afghan refugees to our state.”
Refugee Services Office Director Asha Parekh said the goal is to raise $1 million with donations from foundations, businesses and individuals.
So far, the fund has $300,000 plus, Parekh said. Zions Bank and the Semnani Family Foundation have each donated $100,000. The Sterling Family Foundation gave $75,000 and private donors also made contributions, which includes an in-kind donation of warehouse space from Steve Price with Price Realty Group.
Some refugees already have made it to Utah, Parekh said.
“This is a very unique situation to have this many individuals from one community and this need to come within a short period of time,” she said. “That’s unprecedented.
“Every different segment of our society works together in helping those who are coming to our state.”
Aden Batar, Catholic Community Services migration and refugee services director
Parekh added that “they are coming faster than anyone anticipated,” she said. “I would say the biggest challenge is coordinating services on this end.”
The group has been working closely with the Utah Apartment Association, landlord associations and Airbnb to find affordable housing for the new arrivals. Most will live in Salt Lake County but some could go to other communities, including Ogden.
Afghan and Iraqi refugees with special immigrant visas can choose resettlement in an area where close relatives or friends live. They also can ask to be located in one of 19 cities listed by the U.S. State Department as having a reasonable cost of living, housing availability, supportive services and welcoming communities with volunteers and resources or let a resettlement agency choose which place is most suitable for them.
In addition to Salt Lake City, those cities and areas are Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham and St. Louis.
ADJUSTING TO LIFE IN AMERICA
Caseworkers from the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services are managing the resettlement services, which are provided for two years.
Aden Batar, migration and refugee services director for Catholic Community Services, said about 100 Afghan refugees have arrived in Utah.
Refugees are picked up at the airport and taken to an apartment that is rented for and is fully furnished with donated items from the community, Batar said. The next day, they go to the agency office, where they get help applying for all benefits that they’re entitled to through the state, such as food stamps and Medicaid.
If the Afghans qualify for the special immigrant visa or for asylum, immigration lawyers file the application for them.
Next, the refugees get an orientation on employment, health, education, the laws and “everything they need to know about America,” Batar said.
“We call it cultural education,” he said.
The new arrivals are connected with volunteers from the community who mentor the families and children are enrolled in public schools. Clothing is provided for the refugees.
A health team provides medical services, including physical checkups and immunizations for the children. (COVID-19 vaccines are given as appropriate before the refugees come to Utah.) Mental health needs also are assessed and the refugees are provided with whatever support that they need.
An employment team connects the refugees with employers looking for workers. More than 90 percent of the job seekers get work and become self-sufficient so they don’t need any government support, according to Batar.
“We teach them financial literacy to make sure they know how to pay their bills, how to save money, how to use the banking system,” he said.
Some of the adults decide to go to school and the agencies help them apply and get financial aid or scholarships.
Utah is one of the most welcoming states in the nation because residents are so caring, Batar said.
“People are always involved in helping the refugees,” he said. “We get a lot of volunteers. Every different segment of our society works together in helping those who are coming to our state.”
Batar said money is the biggest need for Catholic Community Services and the agency also has an Amazon wish list of requested donations. In addition, the agency is looking for volunteers and foster parents to take care of children who came to the United States without caregivers, he said.
The International Rescue Committee is asking Utahns to make a one-time donation or a monthly contribution; become a housing support volunteer to set up new homes or lend their time and skills in other ways; gather need items by holding a supply drive or making purchases from an Amazon wish list; advocate for the United States to immediately facilitate the safe departure from Afghanistan of all eligible U.S.-affiliated persons; and raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
For details about volunteering or making donations to the resettlement agencies, visit CCS Utah and Rescue.org.
To donate to the Utah Afghan Community Fund, CLICK HERE.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE
Many community groups, churches and other organizations also are gathering donations and putting in volunteer hours to help the refugees.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is providing cash, food, hygiene products and cleaning supplies from its Bishops’ Storehouse and clothes, furniture, housewares and other items from its Deseret Industry thrift stores.
The church also is looking for transportation options for the Afghans, which can be a challenge when the resettlement agencies need to take refugees to a medical screening or a group of them to the Department of Workforce Service to do paperwork, said Rick Foster, area welfare and self-reliance manager.
When several family members come to the airport with all their luggage, “a college student’s small Toyota Corolla just won’t fit the bill,” he said.
In addition, many Latter-day Saints are volunteering to mentor or provide other types of assistance to the Afghan arrivals, he said.
“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were driven out of their homes in the east and came west,” Foster said. “We’re sensitive to the plight and the challenges of refugees.”
To find volunteer opportunities, visit justserve.org. The website, which was created by the church, is open to members of the community. Its primary purpose is to connect givers and receivers.
“Our sincere hope is that our Afghan friends feel welcome, safe and loved,” Foster said.
The Utah Muslim Civic League held a welcoming event in October for Afghans and provided the new arrivals with warm clothes, shoes, hygiene kits, and toys. In a separate event, the group hosted a free legal clinic for Afghans seeking humanitarian parole for family members and friends.
Lifting Hands International, a Salt Lake City nonprofit, has been gathering hygiene, cleaning, and household items. The organization plans to be involved long-term in the effort to help new arrivals to the state.
“The needs of resettled refugees in Utah will continue long after the public attention has faded,” the organization says on its website. “But we are in it for the long haul. We will distribute aid to arriving refugee families through our partnership with resettlement agencies in Utah for as long as the need persists.”
