Given the rapid increase in Afghan refugees entering the US, the resettlement programs in Phoenix must reassess the typical resettlement process and open their doors to intensive refugee cases. The refugee resettlement program has worked the same way since the 1970s, with offices taking in new cases every day of the week. Now with the immediate arrival of Afghans, the offices are taking cases around the clock, with most arriving at night, said Shava Shervati, operations manager at Arizona Immigrant and Refugee Services. “We receive different information almost every day about what we can do as soon as people arrive here,” said Heidi Urbina, communications coordinator at the Lutheran Social Service of the Southwest. “At first they said that people couldn’t get government benefits or grants, but they would get work permits so they couldn’t get all of the normal benefits that refugees normally get.” Once refugees arrive at their final destination, according to the LSS- SW included in services that include housing search, case management and work preparation. ALSO READ: This is Valley Leadership’s 72nd Man and Woman of the Year “Just a few days ago, Congress passed a law that said people from Afghanistan are entitled to additional assistance such as food stamps, financial aid and reception in . have recruitment funds that are available to other refugees, ”said Urbina. In September, the rolling resolution went into effect to fund Afghan refugees coming to the US after the end of the 20 Years War, President Joe Biden said in a press release. Along with the ongoing resolution, there has been a lot of community support, Shervati said. “We have an Airbnb grant that we’re currently using,” Shervati said. “It is temporary accommodation of seven days or 30 days, but we can decide on a case-by-case basis.” The AIRS and LSS-SW offer services that can last up to 5 years, but typically people will only be in the programs for three to six months, Urbina said. “Sometimes we have cases where they come and we find them a job and an apartment and then we don’t hear from them for a couple of years,” said Urbina. “Then they come back to find a job upgrade or maybe go back to school or other things that we can help them with later.” Several resettlement programs in Phoenix also offer courses to help refugees recruit Adapting American culture, public transportation and technology, Urbina said. “The core services are the services we need for each person, but there are other services that they can sign up for. It’s just up to the customer himself and what he wants to do outside of what is prescribed by him, ”said Urbina. According to the LSS-SW, most refugees should be self-sufficient within 180 days of entering the resettlement programs. After living in the US for 10 years and going through the resettlement process, most refugees find themselves under the same rates as labor force and business owned US natives, according to the Center for American Progress. “We were just trying to figure out how we can help cater to each and every person as they are all brought here at different stages in their immigration process,” said Urbina.
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