Whitmer: State “seizes the opportunity” to welcome Afghan refugees

As the Taliban continue to take control of Afghanistan after the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government and military, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday the state was ready to welcome Afghan citizens fleeing their homes.

Whitmer said in a press release that state departments and agencies “are preparing to ensure that Afghans who may come to our state have the support they need to be successful” while the state awaits information from the US State Department.

Other states offering to host Afghan refugees include Wisconsin, Oregon, Virginia, California, Utah, Maryland, Iowa and more. Michigan has also accepted refugees from Iraq, Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent years.

“As Afghan families flee violence and political persecution, it is our duty and our honor to welcome them with this fundamental Michigan spirit of togetherness,” said Whitmer. “The State of Michigan is seizing the opportunity to welcome Afghan families as they find a new home to begin their lives.

The governor concluded his announcement by thanking the nearly 70,000 Michiganders for their service in the war in Afghanistan since 2001, saying that the war has been multigenerational and that “we must also recognize the complex set of emotions that they can feel right now “.

Currently, US citizens and Afghan residents who assisted the US government and military throughout the 20-year war are struggling to leave Kabul after the Taliban took control of the city last week. About 12,000 people, both US officials and Afghan residents, were evacuated of the country since the takeover of the Afghan capital by the Taliban last week.

The International Refugee Assistance Project deposit legal claims with the State Department for its Afghan clients and 20,000 other Afghan applicants under the special immigrant visa program. Under the program, Afghan immigrants would be required to have a connection to the state.

Originally published on MichiganAdvance.com. It is republished here with permission.

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