Sponsor Circle for Resettlement
of Afghan Evacuees

Photo: A contractor speaks with an Afghan evacuee
on the possible resettlement locations across the United States at Aman
Omid Village in Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 23, 2021. The
Defense Department through Northern Command, and in support of the
Department of State and Department of Homeland Security, is providing
transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general
support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities.
Photo by Army Spc. Jose Escamilla, October 23, 2021.
As
the news spreads about the Department of States new program for
assisting Afghan evacuees more articles are being published about it.
Traditionally the US government has relied on private relocation
agencies and nonprofits, however, the massive intake of Afghan refugees
in a short period has stressed that system. “Any
US Citizen Can Now Sponsor Afghan Refugees, Coffee or Die Magazine,
October 25, 2021.
The
recently
announced Department
of State initiative entitled Sponsor
Circles has
generated some excitement. The prospect of increasing the ability to
help Afghan evacuees has raised hopes that the resettlement process will
be less stressful and more responsive and effective. But there are some
questions. For instance, slide 28 entitled “Benefits
and Services Alert
has some unsettling news for those looking to use the program – some
federal benefits may be eliminated for those participating in the
Sponsor Circle program. This is a case where you have to read the fine
print; DoS must have had some lawyers crafting this program.
The
arrival of thousands of Afghan evacuees on eight U.S. military
installations has stressed a system that has not seen any updates for
over 40 years (1980). The refugee resettlement program has not seen
significant changes since the culminating days of the Vietnamese boat
people exodus of the late 1970s. To increase options for evacuees the
resettlement program will now allow veterans with ties to Afghans (and
others) the opportunity to bring them to communities and serve as a
support network for them. Among the changes, the new initiative would
allow groups of five individuals over the age of 18 to apply as a
so-called sponsor circle. This could be a bit of a game-changer for some
Afghan evacuees. “White
House makes massive change to resettlement program to help Afghan
refugees”, CNN
Politics,
October 23, 2021. See also“Launch
of the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans”, U.S.
Department of State, October
25, 2021.
Visit the Sponsor Circles website at https://www.sponsorcircles.org/
News Articles about the Sponsor Circle Program
January 17, 2022,
"How to sponsor an Afghan refugee family", by Sigan Samuel,
Vox.com.
December 19, 2021,
"Would You Sponsor an Afghan Refugee?", by Farah Stockman, The
New York Times.
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