From September 18, 2021
With the complete withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan, Afghan interpreters with their families fleeing Taliban rule are already arriving in cities across the USA. Afghan refugees and SIVs (Special Immigrant Visa ) in the past have been resettled in California and Texas more than any other states, and this pattern is expected to continue, with refugees wanting to resettle where relatives and friends already live, and where Afghan communities already exist. Local refugee resettlement agencies are expecting several hundred families to be resettled in San Diego & El Cajon, CA, during these next months and are likely to be overrun in their capacity to provide for the newly arriving families sent to them, as was the case with Syrians arriving in the summer and fall of 2016.
In addition to these Afghan families who are resettled through local resettlement agencies after going through a strict vetting process, many will arrive with a different status, seeking official asylum, registering through the US State Department’s Humanitarian Parole program. Consequently, many families are likely to arrive to San Diego County and other cities in California and Texas only to be living with families and friends without any of the support that those being assisted by the refugee resettlement agencies receive, such as cash assistance and food stamps. It will likely take weeks and months to process these new arrivals before they begin receiving the needed government help, and will be relying on family and friends for their support.
Bridge Builders Network seeks to serve and partner with local faith communities, non profits, and the local Afghan community in their efforts to welcome these new families, coming along side them in their transition to a new life in a new land.
Our goal is to bring hope to newly arriving Afghan families, that they would experience the feeling of being welcome, feeling like they belong, feeling safe, cared for, and developing new friendships built on trust and shared common values.