Afghan Refugees, Two Years Later: From Surviving to Thriving
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Dear Friend,
Yesterday, on social media, we introduced you to some of the Afghan refugees we at Inspiritus have had the great pleasure of serving since welcoming them to the United States, over the last two years. Some of these individuals served as allies alongside U.S. military members, while others were resettled through the traditional U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The individuals who have come through these immigration pathways are fortunate in that they have no-to-few barriers to U.S. legal permanent residency, enhancing the prospect of a more stable and certain future.
However, of those roughly 76,000 Afghans who were evacuated as part of the Operation Allies Welcome rescue mission, the majority were admitted with Humanitarian Parole, allowing them to temporarily enter the United States, “due to an emergency and urgent humanitarian reason.” While their parole was recently extended for another two years, their long-term futures remain uncertain until Congress passes the Afghan Adjustment Act, which will make them eligible to apply for a green card and continue building the lives they started creating for themselves in the U.S.
Nevertheless, for parolees like Suraiya, this sense of uncertainty has been no hindrance toward pursuing their future goals. Evacuated in late August 2021, Suraiya and her family were welcomed by Inspiritus in Atlanta and she is now working full-time at a local nonprofit health clinic while she takes steps toward enrolling in aviation school. Her goal? To be the first Afghan woman to fly a plane for Delta.
Suraiya is just one of many incredible individuals we have served in the past two years who have already made incredible gains for themselves and contributions to their local communities. You can learn more about Suraiya and other Afghan newcomers we’ve welcomed across our programming by clicking on their pictures below.
