New Haven nonprofit says it's ready to help Ukrainian refugees settle in the United States

IRIS says "humanitarian parole" includes a security vetting process, may only take a few weeks or months, but only gives refugees a temporary status.

News 12 Staff

Mar 25, 2022, 12:27 AM

Updated 907 days ago

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A New Haven organization says it's ready to help Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing from the war with Russia.
Just one day after the United States accused Russian troops of war crimes in Ukraine, the Biden administration announced a plan to accept thousands of refugees who have ties in the United States.
The plan includes an additional $1 billion in funding for humanitarian assistance, which includes food, shelter, clean water and medical supplies. The proposal would also provide a more direct pathway for Ukranian refugees to get to the United States if they have family ties here.
The idea of accepting refugees here in Connecticut is nothing new. Gov. Ned Lamont tweeted on March 4 if there is a need to accept refugees from Ukraine they will be welcomed "with open arms."
He compared this situation to when Connecticut accepted families from Afghanistan months ago, and so do organizations in Connecticut.
The nonprofit IRIS, or the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, says the situation in Afghanistan is similar to that of Ukraine's, as there was an influx of people who sought refuge elsewhere, and they resettled over 400 Afghans in just a few months here in Connecticut.
"I have a feeling the same mechanism will be used to bring Ukrainians to the United States, a kind of expedited refugee resettlement method. It's called 'humanitarian parole,'" says Chris George, executive director of IRIS.
IRIS says "humanitarian parole" includes a security vetting process, may only take a few weeks or months, but only gives refugees a temporary status.
The refugee resettlement process could take years, with extensive interviews, but would give a refugee permanent status if accepted.