An update on Afghan refugee resettlement in Colorado including statistics on how many refugees have been resettled from September 2021 to March 2022 and services provided by the IRC in Denver related to health care screenings, school enrollment, employment, housing, and immigration. There is a final note on how to continue supporting resettlement efforts.

Moving to a new country can be an overwhelming and isolating experience for anyone. Refugees, who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence and persecution, face particularly acute cultural, emotional and financial challenges during the resettlement process. IRC's H.O.M.E. Program pairs volunteer groups with refugee families to help ease their transition into life in the U.S. through mentorship and financial and material support.

The IRC's Manufacturing Works Career Course prepares refugees for high-paying careers in manufacturing.

In 2017, atrocities by the Myanmar military drove over 850,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh, where they continue to live in temporary settlements today. Over the past four years, as conditions inside the refugee camps have deteriorated, the host community in Teknaf and Ukhiya—who generously welcomed refugees in 2017—have seemingly grown wary of their protracted presence. Intensifying environmental, economic and social impacts linked to continued Rohingya displacement have raised tensions, and studies since 2019 have documented declining social cohesion between refugee and host communities.  This study, undertaken by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), in collaboration with researchers at Dhaka University (DU), assesses the challenges and opportunities to social cohesion in the Rohingya context. The report maps out social tension across five issue areas: environment and ecology; labour market; cultural and political landscape; land; and the presence of the humanitarian community.

At IRC Washington, we play a pivotal role in the local refugee resettlement landscape, providing essential services to help individuals and families transition smoothly. By partnering with Community Support Groups through our Co-Sponsorship Program, we aim to combine our resources and expertise to make a substantial and meaningful contribution to local refugee resettlement efforts.

Until last year, Line had spent almost her entire life in a refugee camp. 

A re-cap of last week's panel discussion with the title "Human Stories, Global Journeys: Responding to Colorado's new refugees and asylum seekers"