General Overview
During Operation Allies Welcome, the Department of State and our resettlement agency, affiliate, and community partners welcomed nearly 84,000 Afghan nationals with initial resettlement assistance as they started their new lives in the United States. We are incredibly grateful for and inspired by the dedication of our resettlement partners, volunteers, and community sponsors across the country involved in this effort.
Where Afghans are Resettled
Newly arrived Afghans are connected to resettlement agencies for initial resettlement assistance in cities and towns across the United States where they can begin their lives anew by securing housing, finding jobs, enrolling in school, and otherwise integrating into their new communities. The Department of State is leading this effort in close coordination with approximately 300 local resettlement affiliates and community partners around the country. The affiliates conduct extensive engagement with local communities to develop resources and support for this population.
What Assistance Afghans Receive
Afghans arriving as refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs) receive Reception and Placement (R&P) benefits funded by PRM.
Through the R&P program, individuals are placed in communities across the country to begin to rebuild their lives. In the placement of individuals, PRM considers U.S.-based family and friends (called “U.S. ties”), housing availability, community capacity, and the needs and characteristics of each case. Local resettlement agencies and other partners assist Afghans with initial services and basic necessities, including food, clothing, and furnishings during the first 30-90 days in their new communities. Services include cultural orientation, assistance with enrollment in English language training and school, health care, access to immigration assistance, social services, and employment training, as well as public assistance benefits, as eligible. Through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Afghan parolees, refugees, and SIV holders receive longer-term services and assistance.