Afghan refugees arriving; agencies offering assistance kick into gear

U.S. MARINE CORPS

Afghans refugees and Americans board a military cargo plane to escape Afghanistan.

The Biden administration has asked U.S.refugee aid organizations to prepare to receive and resettle the thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover of their home country.

According to White House officials, more than 82,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban took control. Of those, 4,500 were American citizens. Most of the other evacuees had secured limited special immigrant visas, reserved for people who have worked with the U.S. or NATO. 

Refugees have been arriving at Dulles International Airport in Virginia where they are being processed, tested for COVID-19 and offered vaccinations and medical treatment. From there, they are sent to military installations spread across the nation.

American civilians, green card holders, Afghans who served along U.S. forces and have Special Immigrant Visas and another group called vulnerable Afghans. That includes people who have not quite completed the 14 steps to get a Special Immigrant Visa.

Applicants in earlier stages are being sent to third countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Germany. In those countries, the evacuees  undergo "robust security processing," said a senior administration official.

Besides the Americans leaving, which includes government workers, employees  of non-government organizations and private businesses, as many as 50,000 Aghan refugees who worked with the Western agencies or assisted the U.S.  and their families are among those leaving Afghanistan.

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Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, is among the first military bases to receive the refugees.

“We will welcome Afghan refugees with open arms here in New Jersey at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” NJ Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet. “Our state has always served as a shining beacon of hope to the world, and we will do everything in our power to help these refugees rebuild their lives.”

A press release from the New Jersey base says that the facility is prepared to house 9,000 people.

Reports from various news sources say other military installations, Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, are beginning to accept the refugees.

Concurrently, U.S. nonprofits are scrambling to hire new employees, train volunteers, raise funds to find housing and jobs for the wave of refugees. The first batch of Afghan refugees are already arriving after President Biden ordered the U.S. military leave Afghanistan after a 20-year presence.

After initial processing, the Afghans are are being sent to one of four military bases across the country, where they to complete paperwork and undergo medical exams before being sent to local communities across the country or to family members already in the U.S.

Connecticut-based Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, for instance, has received two families and expects to resettle 400 to 500 individuals over the next 12 months, according to Chris George, the group's executive director

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Forth Bliss, Texas is one of the military bases where initial processing is taking place.

El Paso Congressmember Veronica Escobar said Monday that more than 650 Afghan refugees had arrived at the military installation as of Saturday. Fort Bliss officials on Sunday had indicated additional arrivals would be continuing over the next several days.

For those non-American citizens who clear security, arrangements are made for them to meet up with family members or receive assistance from local nonprofits.

"The number of people coming, it can’t be a few sites. It’s going to be everybody, all hands on deck. Lots of people ending up in lots of communities," said Russell Smith, Refugee Services of Texas.

Smith says they literally have no lead time because of rapid developments on the ground in Afghanistan. He said in some cases, they are getting just four hours’ notice of people arriving.

"We are having to kind of scramble my staff, it’s all hands on deck," Smith said. "We're putting them in hotels until we can get an apartments set up. We're trying to be as nimble as we can to make sure that we're welcoming the families and then getting them settled."

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, told The Texas Tribune that Fort Bliss can expect up to 10,000 refugees to pass through the Army base.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom took a break from campaigning against an election calling for his recall, to say: 

“We’re a state of refuge. I’m proud of the fact over the last decade California has taken in more refugees than any other state in America, and I’m proud of the fact a disproportionate number of Afghani refugees are here in Northern California, not just here in the south, but also up in Sacramento County. We’re already working in terms of a lot of those refugees coming in and working with CBOs and non-profit organizations to make sure that they feel welcome and celebrated as members of our community.”

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley and Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay is preparing to support 130 families, according to J., the Jewish News of Northern California. The East Bay organization has been helping Afghans resettle for years, but has never tried to support so many families so quickly, the newspaper reported.

The San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California is home to the largest Afghan community in the United States.

In Southern California, Jewish Family Service of San Diego told the Times of San Diego it has resettled 74 Afghans since Aug. 6 and is preparing for an untold number of additional arrivals.

“Most cases are assigned to JFS with little more than 24 hours’ notice before arrival, though all have prior connections — whether family or friends — to the San Diego region,” Etleva Bejko, the director of refugee and immigration services for the nonprofit organization, told the paper.

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Fort McCoy, Wisconsin's only active military installation, has been preparing for refugees since early last week. The 60,000 acre base between Sparta and Tomah could house as many as 2,000 refugees at one time in its barracks, which are typically used to house U.S. service members as they train or prepare to head overseas. 

About 1,000 service members from multiple units of the U.S. Army and Army Reserve have begun to assemble at Fort McCoy to provide support to "Operation Allies Refuge."

Refugees will be housed at Fort McCoy for an unknown amount of time, depending on if they need to quarantine.

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“This is not going to be a routine refugee settlement,’' said Chris George, the executive director of the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in Connecticuttf. “This is more akin to emergency evacuation.’'

“The one key element that we don’t have control over and can be a major obstacle is the lack of housing,’' George told the Hartford Courant. “That’s what I’ve been spending a lot of my time on recently. … We are sending out mass emails. We are reaching out to churches and synagogues — all in the hope of trying to find more apartments where we can place these people when they arrive.’'

The New Haven agency can resettle as many as 200 refugees over the next four months — a huge total when 200 is the normal average for the entire year, George said. When combined with the help of a second nonprofit agency, Bridgeport-based Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Inc., George said the overall total in Connecticut could reach as high as 1,000 over the next 12 months.

"We're preparing for unprecedented numbers," said George.

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Airbnb says it will provide housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees around the world for free. The refugees will be staying in properties listed on the company's website.

Tuesday, Airbnb and Airbnb.org announced that Airbnb.org is providing temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide – the cost of which is funded through contributions to Airbnb.org from Airbnb and Brian Chesky, as well as donors to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

Airbnb and Airbnb.org recognize that the situation on the ground is fast evolving. Airbnb.org will closely collaborate with resettlement agencies and partners to go where the need goes, and evolve this initiative and our support as necessary. In addition, given the tremendous need, Airbnb urges fellow members of the global business community to join efforts to provide immediate support to Afghan refugees.“As tens of thousands of Afghan refugees resettle around the world, where they stay will be the first chapter in their new lives," said Chesky. "For these 20,000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide them with not only a safe place to rest and start over, but also a warm welcome home.”

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A CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday found 81% of the 2,142 U.S. adults surveyed said the U.S. should “help those Afghans come to the U.S.,” while just 19% said they should not.

Taking in those Afghans, who worked as intelligence sources, drivers and in other support roles of the U.S. effort, has support from 90% of Democrats, 79% of independents and Trump voters and 76% of Republicans in the poll.

How you can help

Resettlement agencies are rebuilding after Donald Trump slashed refugee admissions to the lowest level since the U.S. program began in 1980, forcing the groups to cut staff and close offices.

Nevertheless, there are a number of nonprofit agencies assisting Afghan refugees in the United States and those still in Afghanistan. Click here for more information.