Raleigh Durham area expecting Afghan refugees

[mnhtnbb]

In the days following the collapse of the Afghan government and the mass exodus of Americans and US-allied Afghans, World Relief Durham is preparing to welcome in an influx of refugees in the coming weeks.

The group works with Afghan refugees as they either select or are assigned Raleigh and Durham as resettlement options under the U.S. Department of State's special immigrant visa program.

If you're interested in helping, World Relief Durham has volunteer opportunities available along with other ways you can monetarily help in resettlement efforts.

"Because this is not just overseas. This is in our community. This is here in the Triangle. And in many cases, this is us. There are many Afghan North Carolinians. Many Afghan North Carolinians that have called Triangle home for a long time. They have Afghan children in our schools, Afghan professionals in our companies. So, the suffering that we're seeing on TV is personal for us; it's personal to our community. And it matters for North Carolina to step up and show that we care by raising our voices and finding a way to demonstrate welcome and advocate for people who are suffering right now."

Link to volunteer with World Relief Durham https://worldrelief.org/durham/get-involved/volunteer/

Link to the other cities available as resettlement options under US Dept of State special immigrant visa program
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/special-immigrant-visas-for-afghans-and-iraqis-resettlement-options.html



https://abc11.com/10958067/?ex_cid=TA_WTVD_FB&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0LvcRbhC6txB8sCVGlLW5D5oLZ8yMEtwUrfK-feTItWiz6na3_F80_8vo

[marble falls]

1. I bet the MAGAs are conflicted.

[luv2fly]

2. Raleigh-Durham is a pretty progressive area right?

I don't really know anything about North Carolina other than it's regarded as a red state. But if they're going to send Afghan refugees around the country, progressive areas make more sense than red areas.

In Wisconsin they are considering placing them at Fort McCoy, which is in a pretty red area. I understand they have the room there, but one has to wonder how it's going to work out.

[mnhtnbb]

3. Durham County voted 80% Biden in 2020.

There are three major Universities in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area--better known as The Research Triangle--and as a result it's a highly educated area. Bluest of the blue in NC, not just Tar Heel or Duke blue. Lots of tech and pharmaceutical businesses. There's a sizable population of Afghans already here--according to the article--so it would make sense to offer it as a resettlement area.