Latest news with #resettlement
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mobile-based refugee charity regrouping as federal cuts shrink funding
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Members of a Mobile-based charity focused on helping refugees in difficult situations are facing a hard situation of their own. Dwell Mobile is one of a number of charities trying to figure out what to do next as federal funding dries up. A rummage sale along Government Boulevard Saturday morning is one step members of Dwell Mobile are taking to continue funding programs to help refugees resettle in the United States. Kismeth Melendez is a Needs Specialist at Dwell Mobile. She was busy promoting the rummage sale on social media to get people to show up. 'I like it. The service for the refugee family, service for community, and integration of community cultures. This place is multi-cultural,' said Melendez. Since the Trump administration announced the suspension of the US's refugee resettlement program in late January, Dwell Mobile has already lost one grant, and they expect to lose another after cuts from HHS go into effect. 'We will definitely have to scale back some of our services if if we don't have federal funds. But our goal is to continue to provide as many services as we possibly can,' said RSS Case Manager at Dwell Mobile Molly Broders. She estimates 80% of their organization's funding came from federal sources. And despite this huge change, she says they're still very passionate about the people they serve. 'The people that we serve came here legally and they were promised by the United States government to have a place of safety here and refuge. We've seen how our clients have so much strength and so much resilience,' said Broders. In addition to Saturday's rummage sale, they're also asking the city government to adjust the zoning on their property so Dwell Mobile can open a thrift store. 'We live in a country that has so much and they come from desperate situations. And I think that that's sort of in the DNA of the fabric of who we are as a country. That's our value, helping others,' said Broders. While they may not be able to close the gap left by federal funds, organizers say they'll get a close as they can. Mobile's Board of Zoning Adjustment will have a meeting Monday for a Public hearing on rezoning Dwell Mobile to allow retail sales. Broders says, if it goes through, they might have the thrift store open later this summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
From Syria's war to US uncertainty: A refugee caught in Trump's aid freeze
On a rainy afternoon in Maryland, Mohammad Saaid Abdalnabi and a few fellow refugees pitch a tent in the corner of a car park and fire up a grill. The rich aroma of sizzling kebabs fills the air as they prepare traditional Syrian food for an event to thank donors who helped their families to begin new lives in the US. Born and raised in Damascus, Saaid had dreamt of moving to the US since he was 12. When Syria's civil war broke out in 2011 and pro-democracy protests spread across the country, calling for an end to president Bashar Al Assad's authoritarian rule, his desire to leave grew stronger. 'I left Syria because I was at the age of joining the military,' Saaid tells The National. 'When I turned 18, I tried to get my passport and come here as I did not want to fight my people, because the military was fighting our people." Saaid, 27, spent several years in Cairo, Egypt, where he met his wife, Reham Allahham. In October, his long-held dream finally began to take shape. He arrived in Maryland with Reham and their daughter Mirna, 5. He had nothing – no money, no home, just the will to start over. The family was supported by Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, a refugee resettlement agency that covered their hotel stay on arrival. By December, with the agency's help, they had moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Calverton, with three months of rent funded. For decades, the federal refugee resettlement programme has supported people fleeing war, disaster and persecution, offering limited cash and medical assistance along with case management, English-language classes and job placement services. But for Saaid, rebuilding his life came with unexpected hurdles. Just as his family began to settle, the Trump administration froze refugee resettlement funds, leaving tens of thousands of newly arrived families in sudden uncertainty and hardship. 'We were honestly upset that unfortunately [the funding] stopped but we hope that the situation will get better,' Saaid says. The funding freeze led to delays in his rent payments, leaving him anxious about how long the support would last. Families who arrived after him received no assistance at all. Many were at risk of eviction. That is when the non-profit Homes Not Borders stepped in, using private donations to help several refugee families keep food on the table and roofs over their heads. The organisation also furnished apartments, including Saaid's, with beds, sofas and other essentials, helping refugees make a fresh start. 'We had been doing about seven to 10 home setups a week. But then the refugee resettlement stopped when President Trump took over,' says Laura Thompson Osuri, executive director of Homes Not Borders. 'Now we've been doing about four home set-ups a week, mostly for Special Immigrant Visa holders that used to work for the US government in Afghanistan. They're not getting any support from the US government. They're coming here on their own dime or sponsored by a non-profit here.' With the funding freeze, resettlement agencies nationwide were forced to lay off hundreds of staff. So, Homes Not Borders hired some case workers part-time to help refugees connect to their benefits. The group has also helped many refugee families pay their rent. 'We used to be vendors of the resettlement agencies and get money from them for doing home set-ups. That has stopped, so that has been a hit to our budget,' Ms Osuri says. With fewer new arrivals, the organisation has decreased the number of home set-ups it conducts. While this has reduced the need for staff time and resources, the group continues to seek donations and grants to support continuing resettlement work. Refugees are an important part of the fabric of America, Ms Osuri says. 'We need to start resettling all these people, especially the Afghan people that we promised that we'd bring them here.' Navigating a new life In April, Saaid began working at a slaughterhouse in Baltimore, earning $2,500 a month. It was a step forward, but it came at a cost. The new income made him ineligible for food stamps and cash assistance. With $1,850 going towards rent each month, there's little left to support his family. Reham has enrolled in free English classes in Prince George's County and helps Saaid improve his language skills, as his work hours prevent him from attending classes. 'When I first came here it was hard, but each month I feel that I'm improving and so is my English, hopefully,' he said. 'I'm really happy that I came here and as I said it was my dream. I wish my home rent was lower so I could live a better life.' Despite the challenges, Saaid remains hopeful. He expresses gratitude to Mr Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria – a move he believes may ease the burden on his parents and siblings still living in Damascus. 'I wish I could send money home but my current situation doesn't allow me as I can barely pay rent and cover my expenses,' he said. Although the future remains uncertain, Saaid dreams of becoming a chef and building a stable life in the US. He continues to hold on to hope — for himself, for his family and for the people of Syria.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
State Department Plans to Close Office That Aids Afghan Refugees
The US State Department has notified Congress that it will shut down the office that helped resettle Afghan refugees who assisted the American war effort, provoking an outcry from nonprofit groups that helped evacuate people when the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021. The elimination of the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts was disclosed in a letter to Congress outlining efforts to reorganize the department. A copy of the document was seen by Bloomberg News. The office's functions will be 'realigned' to the Afghanistan Affairs Office and the role of special representative for Afghan reconstruction will also be eliminated.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Cyprus offers Syrian families money to resettle and work permits for main earners
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus will offer Syrian families money to help them resettle back in their homeland and allow the main income earners to remain on the island nation for up to three years to work as part of a voluntary repatriation program, a Cypriot minister said Thursday. Deputy Minister for Migration Nicholas Ioannides said that a prerequisite for families to qualify for the program is that they must drop their claims for asylum or rescind international protection status already granted to them prior to Dec. 31, 2024. Unveiling the program, Ioannides said that families wishing to voluntarily return will be given a one-off sum of 2,000 euros ($2,255) for one adult and 1,000 euros ($1,128) for each child. Childless couples are also eligible to apply. The application period runs from June 2 to Aug. 31. Additionally, the family's main income earner — either the father or mother will be granted a special residency and work permit allowing them to stay for a minimum of two years in Cyprus with the option of another year. Ioannides said that many Syrians have expressed their willingness to return and help rebuild their country, but are reluctant to do so because of the uncertainty surrounding where they'll be able to earn a living wage. According to the head of Cyprus' Asylum Service Andreas Georgiades, the program's premise is to help families overcome any such reluctance by affording them a modest nest egg with which to cover their immediate needs while enabling the main income earner to continue working and sending money to his family. The income earner will be allowed to travel back and forth to Syria while his or her residency and work permit are valid. Syrian nationals make up the largest group of asylum-seekers in Cyprus by far. According to Asylum Service figures, 4,226 Syrians applied for asylum last year — almost 10 times more than Afghans who are the second-largest group. 'This new program is a targeted, humanitarian and realistic policy that bolsters Syria's post-war transition to normality,' Ioannides said, adding that European Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner considers the program as a potential example for other European Union member countries to follow. Meanwhile, Ioannides repeated that a 2009 Search and Rescue agreement that Cyprus has with Syria enables Cypriot authorities to send back boatloads of Syrian migrants trying to reach the island nation after they're rescued in international waters. Ioannides said that two inflatable boats each loaded with 30 Syrian migrants were turned back in line with the bilateral agreement after being rescued when they transmitted that they were in danger. Ioannides again denied Cyprus engages in any pushbacks, despite urgings from both the U.N. refugee agency and Europe's top human rights body to stop pushing back migrants trying to reach the island by boat.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Forced to relocate by climate change, Alaskan villagers found a new crisis
NEWTOK, Alaska — A jumble of shipping containers hold all that remains of the demolished public school in Newtok, Alaska, where on a recent visit, a few stray dogs and a lone ermine prowled among the ruins. Late last year, the final residents of this sinking village near the Bering Sea left behind the waterlogged tundra of their former home, part of a fraught, federally funded effort to resettle communities threatened by climate change.
