Six Degrees of Separation; we are all connected to Afghanistan
If you stop and think about your network, you will likely realize that the “law of six degrees of separation” connects you to someone directly affected by the events currently taking place in Afghanistan. We have CDP alumni, Legal Clinic Clients, and Education Students as well as volunteers waiting on word from family and friends, wondering if they are safe. Our hearts are with you all, with the Afghan people, and with our veterans and service members advocating and working on the safe relocation of 100,000 individuals.
Not all of those being evacuated will come to the United States.
In fact, from 2017 – 2019, 109,000 refugees were relocated to the US from around the globe; 80% of whom were from African or Asian countries. Those from Afghanistan totaled 3314 individuals. https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2019/table14.
Once in the US, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services determines the decision of how many refugees will be placed in Charlotte. I hope that you will join us in being a Welcoming Community (https://welcomingamerica.org/). Our Ginter Immigration Law Clinic, Client Services, and Education Departments will be prepared to provide assistance and referrals within our capacity.
The sad reality is that getting out of Afghanistan is only the beginning of a very long and arduous journey. The refugees who will receive Visas to the US or other ally countries are the lucky ones. In the US, their journey will last 3 – 5 years until they can acquire permanent resident status. Those who flee and seek asylum could be facing a 10 – 20 year journey. These journeys are painful, full of loss and hardship, which is why we need immigration reform, not only in the US but also around the globe; that is a letter for another time.
If you would like to help, contact your US Senator and House of Representatives (https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials) to ensure all Afghanistan contractors and family members, who served alongside our military and civil servants over the last two decades, are evacuated.
Sincerely,
Autumn Weil
Executive Director
International House of Metrolina, Inc.