According to the organization Immigrant Connection, 1,300 Afghan refugees are anticipated to settle down in the state of Michigan, and around 430 of them will be coming to West Michigan. Ready to greet them as they arrive is Ruth Stenfors, Director of Immigrant Connection.
"We don't turn anyone away," Stenfors says.
Her team will provide legal services at a reduced cost such as applying for work permits, green cards and drivers licenses or even reuniting families who were separated. She says the challenges that lay ahead of the incoming Afghan refugees are slightly more to deal with than other refugee groups.
“There wasn’t a chance to process all of them fully," Stenfors says. "Therefore they are coming here with a different refugee status than a lot of refugees that we see.”
Everyone on staff at Immigrant Connection is recognized and accredited by the Department of Justice, meaning they are top-of-the-line experts in immigration law and uniquely qualified to offer help.
Unaffordable housing prices are the biggest obstacle Stenfors foresees in the transition, but she's confident the surplus of available jobs will be beneficial to the incoming refugees as they get work permits approved and can find jobs with relative ease.
The legal processes awaiting the incoming refugees are no quick task, which is why Stenfors says it's crucial to develop a relationship early on in their acclimation to their new home.
"Trust is super important. They’ve been in a situation with a lack of trust in most people who have tried to help them," she says. "Many will come for their work authorization, and their green cards and they’ll come back years later for citizenships, so we end up seeing the same people a lot throughout the years."
The migration to West Michigan won't take place instantly. Stenfors says most of the people who will end up around Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo are already in the US staying on military bases for the time being.
She's hoping her team will provide assistance to at least half of the anticipated 430 refugees over the next year, saying other community organizations will provide resources as well.
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