Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) was approved this week by the U.S. Department of State to welcome up to 100 Afghans in Vermont in the weeks ahead. An exact timeline of arrivals has not yet been established.
USCRI is a national nonprofit resettlement agency that assists people who have migrated to the U.S. to help them live safe and dignified lives. USCRI’s Vermont Office, Governor Scott, the State Refugee Office at the Vermont Agency of Human Services and other refugee programs have been pursuing opportunities to welcome refugees over the last several weeks. The goal is to accommodate some of the many Afghans who are being targeted due to support of the U.S. military and U.S. government agencies, as well as media and non-governmental organizations, following the end of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan.
“We have a moral obligation to help the people of Afghanistan, who did so much to help us in the War on Terror,” said Governor Phil Scott. “In addition to this being the right thing to do, we know that welcoming more refugees also strengthens communities, schools, our workforce, culture and economy. I appreciate the federal government’s partnership in helping us welcome more families to Vermont.”
For years, the Governor has requested annual increases in refugee resettlement in Vermont as part of a comprehensive strategy to increase economic growth and expand Vermont’s workforce.
“We were glad to receive this approval from the State Department. It is an honor to help those who have helped our service members overseas and it is a wonderful opportunity for Vermont’s communities and for our businesses who are very interested in expanding our workforce and filling our job vacancies,” said Tracy Dolan, the director of the State Refugee Office, which is working closely with USCRI to plan support services for Afghans arriving in Vermont.
“We are learning from our colleagues at military bases and arrival centers across the country that employment is one of the highest priorities mentioned by these newly arriving Afghans. They are eager to find jobs and rebuild their lives,” added Dolan.
USCRI Vermont will work closely with the State, as well as with schools, employers, landlords, and health and social service programs, to meet the needs of arriving Afghans and of the community. Before they arrive in Vermont, Afghans will have completed medical and security screenings, and will be authorized to work. USCRI is continuing to respond to Vermont volunteers and businesses interested in offering support.
“I want to thank Vermonters for the outpouring of support we are receiving – we are not always fast to respond immediately to your offers due to the preparations we are making but want you to know we are thankful as we work together to extend a warm welcome to our Afghan neighbors,” said Amila Merdzanovic, Director of USCRI.
The State Department also approved the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) to open a new field office in Brattleboro. ECDC is a resettlement agency that works with refugees from around the world and hired Joe Wiah, who will begin his new role as director of the Brattleboro Office on September 20. ECDC plans to submit a proposal to the State Department to welcome 25 Afghans to Brattleboro in the coming months.
“ECDC is grateful for the support it has received from the Brattleboro community, the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, the Community Asylum Seekers Project, Shapiro Foundation and the Braden-Harder & Lawrence Harder Charitable Fund to open a new branch office, the ECDC Multicultural Community Center,” said Jessica Chapman, Community Outreach Manager, ECDC. “After many months of planning and discussions we look forward to starting the work of welcoming refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders to the southern part of Vermont.”
The State will continue to provide additional information on the resettlement of Afghans in Vermont as more details become available.
For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Contact
Jason Maulucci, Press Secretary
Office of the Governor
Jason.Maulucci@vermont.gov
Tracy Dolan, State Refugee Office Director
Agency of Human Services
Tracy.Dolan@vermont.gov
Amila Merdzanovic
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
amerdzanovic@uscrivt.org
The wolf is holding the door open for more wolves,,,how many Veterans does Vermont have now that are and have BEEN homeless for how many years???? How many single moms, families are homeless in Vermont again ??? Yay flip flop you da man !
It is really amazing the way Democracy is practiced in Vermont.
The Governor makes a few phone calls, and announces Vermont will import 100 Afghanis, FOR STARTERS.
They will reproduce like cluster flies.
They will want to have a mini Afghanistan, with SHARIA law, in Vermont, just as happened in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, which all three countries regret, AFTER THE FACT.
It’s not the role of government to decide what the people’s Morality is supposed to be.
What a Tyrant this man is..
It sounds like it’s time to do some asskissing for that giant covid payout the state of Vermont got.
Remember folks, every bit of gubbamint money you get comes with strings attached.
The strings look like Afghans now.
Since when is it Scott’s duty to lecture US re our “moral duty” ?
How much Chinese money has found it’s way into Gov Scott’s net worth
since he was first elected?
His Moral obligation is apparently with the United nations and not the citizens of Vermont.
We have Vermont citizens without homes, due in part from the current influx from out of state, from a state government set on not allowing modest home building and ownership, not allowing simple solutions such as boarding homes.
Moral obligation is for those first at home.
Vermonter with jobs, living in cars should come before out of state, let alone out of country transplants.
Actions speak louder than words, some are clearly marching to the New World Order and not the beloved republic known as the United States of America.
This is just the beginning. Rutland is getting the illegals from the southern border and the Afghan refugees. I wonder how many of these people that feel it is our “moral duty” to support these pp would be agreeable to this if they were the only pp to financially support them. These holier-than-thou pp are so free with the taxpayers money. We should just separate this country into the holier-than-thous, refugees and illegals and the deplorables. They can’t live in our states and visa a versa.
I am very concerned at the crickets I’m hearing from the Republicans in DC. Why aren’t they fighting back? Get rid of this bastard in the WH, the greedy First Lady and the do nothing hyena VP. We are supporting a President that isn’t leading this country and Harris is getting paid a lot of money to giggle for four years.
There is no doubt this man is a paid clown puppet. Morally bankrupt, but flush with CCP money.
Well scotty while your being all moral about letting in barbaric islamic sheep herders how about reprimanding your hero pedo joke bidumb for getting 13 of our bravest killed due to stupidity and ineptness. Then demand he’s impeached or better yet brought up on war crimes for droning 7 children and 3 aid workers to make the story of his ineptness go away.. Your becoming as pitiful as the idiot you voted for scotty…
Where did my comment go?
I’ve had a few not show up most likely due to a word that’s in their no no list.
If it’s a banned word they just don’t let it post.
Here’s a question for the non-thinking people. How does the government vet people from a country with a non-functioning government? People from a 3rd world country where most males can not read or write. On top of that, the Biden puppet string masters are requiring Americans to be injected with experimental drugs to work but not illegal immigrants flooding the southern border! If one of these refuges kills, harms or rapes any Vermonter, the blame will be on moral, virtual signaling Phil. Since he believes it’s okay to dismember babies in the womb, I guess he won’t be bothered with any such scenario arising from this fiasco.
Vermont may very well be a good fit for Afghan refugees, they are fully experienced with living under the tyranny of a corrupt government. In reality though, they are smart enough to the grass is greener in many other places with real opportunities for them and they will move away at first chance just like so many Vermonters.
Not until after they have exhausted all to do-goodie, bleeding-heart, build-back better government benefits.
It is good for them to start with a green card right away, to take a job from any US citizen, or any legal immigrants.
I used to live in Oslo.
On Karl-Johann, the main avenue in Oslo, Pakistani fathers, impeccably dressed in traditional garb, walk about 10-ft ahead of their wives, who push fancy baby carriages with two aboard, and 2 plus 2 on each side, for a total of six.
Mind you, no company would hire them, because of his appearance, etc.
So they live on very generous welfare.
My sister in law taught Norwegian to them
If they attend, they get benefits, if not, no benefits!!
They just sit there, get benefits. Did not learn anything.
It is called “playing the system”.
In Norway, the more children you have the more benefits.
Pakistani men love those government programs.
Just want to point out that Governor Scott expressed no moral obligation to unborn, heart beating and even viable, unborn babies……when he signed H. 57, now Act 47…..
CHenry,
The Dem/Progs in Vermont have nothing to worry about.
They cannot be voted out of office any more.
They want to keep their veto proof majorities.
They have got themselves insurance, so future elections CAN be rigged, big time, just in case.
The potential rigging is legalized with unnecessary UNIVERSAL mail-in ballots, sent to everyone who breathes, in-state or out of state, as long as they are on the bloated voter lists, and sent to non-breathers, i.e., dead people, also on the bloated voter lists.
On top of that, Dem/Progs made sure to have UNIVERSAL mail-in ballot harvesting.
With so many ballots floating around, there will be bumper harvests.
Their next assault will be on the private sector to further debilitate it, so it does not look too good compared to inefficient Dem/Prog government programs.
What idiot authorized these non-vetted and non-vaccinated into our state, the inept fools in
Montpelier wants all its citizens vaccinated and then let these undocumented and probably
all ready infected into our state, today’s covid # 314 new cases, great job Phil you’re a legend
in your own mind.
Wake up people, this is pure nonsense, but then again we are talking about Montpelier, clueless
fools in charge, we deserve better !!
WHY is it our “moral duty” to care for these people when we have so many of our own people who are homeless? Americans should come first!