How many Afghan refugees will the Commonwealth of Massachusetts take in amid the aftermath of the Afghan War?
The total is unknown. However, for now the answer is about 900, according to WCVB.
The first group of people evacuating Afghanistan from the United States that will be resettled includes 37,000 people. Massachusetts will take in more than most other New England states. Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire will get 100 each while Rhode Island will get 150 and Connecticut will get 310.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s office will work with federal officials and local nonprofits in the refugee resettlement process. That includes the Massachusetts Immigration & Refugee Advocacy Coalition, a group that advocates for policies that benefit illegal immigrants.
The refugees will mostly be resettled in and around the Boston area. He noted that some may go to Worcester, others to Lowell, and some may even end up on the South Shore, a Massachusetts Immigration & Refugee Coalition spokesman told WBZ.
Worcester city manager Edward Augustus Jr. expressed his support for Worcester taking in refugees this week.
“These folks and their families supported American troops for the last 20 years. We all talk about how much we want to support the troops and how proud we are,” Augustus told The Telegram & Gazette. “This is how we can support them — by supporting those who supported them in harm’s way.”
The Afghanis being resettled into the United States are not eligible for welfare services, but they do receive some benefits at the expense of the taxpayer. The federal government will provide them with a cell phone, $1,250, and furnished housing, as The Boston Globe points out. The free housing typically lasts for about 90 days, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
There are a handful of states that won’t take any people in from this first wave. Those states include: Hawaii, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
President Joe Biden’s administration wants to take in 95,000 people from Afghanistan by September 2022, according to The Hill.
New to NewBostonPost? Conservative media is hard to find in Massachusetts. But you’ve found it. Now dip your toe in the water for two bucks — $2 for two months. And join the real revolution.
