The state of Minnesota and local resettlement agencies have welcomed an estimated 1400 Afghan evacuees over the past year. Transitional housing for these displaced individuals and families was one of the immediate needs addressed by a collaborative federal, state and local agency plan. This joint effort has been supported by Operation Allies Welcome Minnesota, a philanthropic public-private partnership created in response to the evacuation. The partnership has raised private dollars used to support immediate housing for Afghan arrivals, and its focus has shifted now to helping evacuees navigate the asylum process. Our interpreters have worked alongside state and local agencies from the start and will continue to provide language support as resettlement shifts to legal immigration services, long-term housing, and employment opportunities.
Most of the displaced individuals and families have temporary permission to stay in the country and need extensive legal support to file asylum claims. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), “Individuals in the United States may apply for asylum regardless of country of nationality or current immigration status. They may be eligible if they “have been persecuted or have a fear of future persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”
Many evacuees fled their country without any resources and are unable to pay for private legal assistance. As part of a statewide response to this need, Minneapolis-based The Advocates for Human Rights created a resource hub for Afghan evacuees and offers a free legal clinic. The clinic explains immigration documents, legal options, and provides attorney referrals. Our interpreters provide language support to The Advocates and private law firms like Faegre Drinker, Stinson LLP, Contreras & Metelska PA, and Ernest Wiafe Law. These organizations and law firms are providing pro bono immigration and asylum processing legal services to this displaced community.
Language support for Afghan arrivals is essential to all aspects of the resettlement process, and our Dari and Pashto interpreters will continue to work with our legal services partners during this next important phase.