Meg Gallow speaks on MA Refugee Resettlement Program

There are 65 million displaced people in the world do to conflicts and political instability. After WWII the US has accepted 500,000 refugees and after Vietnam war 1.3 million refugees. Today we resettle between 60,000 to 80,000 refugees from 28 different nations. These refugees have applied for refugee status through the UN. As such they qualify for resettlement in other UN countries such as the US.

To resettle into the US it takes an average of 18 months. Of which the refugees must go through a tough:

Once approved, they can settle in the US and some arraivehere in Massachusetts. Approximately 300 refugees per year get resettled in MA and are given immediate work eligibility. There are several organizations that also help in the refugee resettlement in MA, Catholic Charities handles 40/year, Bishop Council, Ethiopian Resettlement Council, etc.

Meg has requested the Rotary Club provide much needed boxes with welcoming necessities to help the refugees upon arrival. More than half the refugees are family with 2 to 4 children. Upon arrival the refugees are provided by MA $1,125 to help with rental housing assistance. This assistance continues on a monthly basis for 8 months for single individuals and 2 years for married families.

Most of the refugees are successfully employed by the local MA economy. They come to the US very motivated to make it here. Majority of refugees in MA settle Worcester, MA do to the less expensive rentals in Worcester, MA which has a large volume of Triple-Decker apartments.