CLEVELAND — Local agencies in Cleveland are preparing to help hundreds of Afghans who are seeking refuge.
Cleveland is one of 19 cities that accept the Special Immigrant Visa which is available to those who have worked with the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Part of the reason why Cleveland is one of the 19 cities is that we have a long legacy of welcoming families from Afghanistan for the last 20 years,” said Joe Cimperman, President of Global Cleveland. “Some of those individuals coming as a result of the regular resettlement program, and some are coming as a result of the evacuation.”
It’s a long and complicated process, but local resettlement agencies say there’s an urgency to help those evacuating Afghanistan. Cimperman said a family of eight arrived at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on Friday.
“All organizations in Cleveland, that are international, are looking at one thing and that’s getting as many people out and into Cleveland as possible,” said Cimperman.
Agencies like Refugee Response in Cleveland are also working on hundreds of Humanitarian Parole applications for immediate family members of those who have provided direct assistance to the U.S.
“These are family members who were embedded with our armed forces, providing direct support and putting their lives on the line,” said Patrick Kearns, executive director of Refugee Response. “It seems the least we can do is to make sure that they’re immediate family members get protection.”
A Humanitarian Parole application costs $575. Cimperman said more than $100,000 has been raised to help those who may need financial aid.
The number of how many Afghans are expected to arrive in Cleveland is hard to pin down – but local resettlement agencies are prepared to welcome hundreds.
“We’re all planning on numbers in the several hundreds to really be brought here to Northeast Ohio,” said Darren Hamm, Field Office Director at USCRI Cleveland. “And that’s in addition to the normal numbers we are expected to receive in the next year which we already projected to be around 1,200 individuals or so.”
Global Cleveland put out a call out for help for volunteers and donations to help local agencies in the area. Click here for more information on how to help.
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