COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that the state is preparing to welcome 855 Afghan refugees who left the country as the U.S. pulled its troops last month from Afghanistan. 

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio is preparing to accept 855 Afghan refugees in the next six months

  • Eight non-governmental organizations will assist with the refugee’s resettlement

  • Organizations will assist with providing housing, employment services and navigating American life

  • A total of nearly 37,000 refugees are expected to resettle in the U.S.

Of the 855 refugees, 345 will head to Columbus, 285 to Cleveland, 150 to Akron, 50 to Cincinnati and 25 to Toledo. The placements are expected to occur during the next six months, the state said. Eight local resettlement agencies will assist the refugees with services. 

“These are individuals who have been partners with United States and deserve our support in return for the support they’ve given us,” said DeWine. “Thank you to the resettlement agencies and communities who have stepped forward and demonstrated they have the resources necessary to help these individuals in their time of need.”

The federal government is currently screening 37,000 refugees and placing them throughout the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security has been tasked with resettling refugees. 

“Operation Allies Welcome is the ongoing effort to bring Americans home, and to bring vulnerable Afghans to the United States and support their resettlement,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “As we move forward through this process, these individuals will be resettled across the country. Just like generations of newcomers throughout our history, they will have the opportunity to enrich the fabric of our Nation.  And I would ask all Americans to welcome them into our communities. That must be the promise and the purpose of Operation Allies Welcome. We have a solemn duty to meet this mission, and I know, together, we will.”

The federal government said that the 37,000 refugees are among more than 120,000 people that were moved out of Afghanistan in the closing days of the United States’ occupation in Kabul. 

The International Institute of Akron is among the non-governmental groups assisting with relocation. 

The IIA told Spectrum News last month it provides culturally- and linguistically-appropriate social services to refugees for the first 90 days, starting with finding housing and getting kids into schools, Advocacy and Community Outreach Coordinator Kevin Walter said. The organization also provides English classes, employment services and assistance with life skills such as banking and navigating basic laws.

The IIA has been gearing up for Afghan refugees ever since Biden’s announcement earlier this year that he would increase the number of refugees the U.S. receives into the resettlement program, officials said.

Spectrum News 1 reporter Jennifer Conn contributed to this report.

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