COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Nearly 900 Afghan refugees will arrive in Ohio and will be transferred to eight local resettlement agencies as part of the first batch of nearly 37,000 arrivals across the country, Governor Mike DeWine announced Thursday.
“These are individuals who have been partners with the United States and deserve our support in return for the support they have given us,” DeWine said in a statement.
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The evacuees will travel to facilities primarily in the northeast and central Ohio through the US State Department’s Afghan Housing and Assistance Program.
The Biden government began notifying governors and state refugee coordinators of their arrival on Wednesday. Officials said the State Department has relocated evacuees based on the advice of local affiliates from nine national relocation agencies that the US government works with.
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During the process, officials warned Afghan evacuees that certain parts of the country – including areas with high job opportunities and cheaper housing – could be good places to start their new lives in the United States
The Afghan evacuees undergo a security clearance and health check-up process coordinated by the Ministry of Homeland Security before they are admitted.
The Biden administration has asked Congress for funds to relocate 65,000 Afghans in the U.S. by the end of this month and 95,000 by September 2022.
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