October 11, 20213 yr On 10/9/2021 at 6:16 AM, E Rocc said: Funny, but seriously doesn't Columbus already have a larger Islamic community that's done a decent job of assimilating? Yes. Everyone really just thinks of Somalis, but other African/ME nations with significant Muslim populations provide thousands of immigrants to the city. All of the following nations had at least 1,000 immigrants in Columbus- Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morrocco, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Nigeria, Liberia and Cameroon. These are the ones with at least 500- Eritrea, Senegal, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Iran. There are several more nations with at least 100. In 2019, outside of Somalia, there were about 29,000 immigrants altogether from such nations just within the city limits. Outside of South and SE Asia, they are the fastest-growing immigrant group. Edited October 11, 20213 yr by jonoh81
October 12, 20213 yr 18 hours ago, jonoh81 said: The Afghan refugees won't necessarily end up moving to other states, or that Afghans resettled in other states won't end up in Ohio. It will depend largely on familial/cultural connections or employment. If there is family or at least some number of people with similar nationality or culture, they are likely to stay in Ohio. Columbus got its massive Bhutanese population not from them being resettled there, but later moving there because they knew people. Same with many Somalis who weren't originally resettled in Columbus. Most immigrant groups work this way, really. When you go to a new country, at least the first generation likes to be around people and culture that is familiar, and by the 2nd-3rd generations, the connections with the location are well-established and so remain permanently. Oh, agree 100 percent. Which is why I suggest there’ll be a second migration to NoVa and Sacramento, home to the two largest Afghan populations in the U.S., even as soon as the 90 day VOLAG funding from DoS/PRM ends. I wish that wasn’t the case, this is a tremendous opportunity to boost Cleveland’s immigrant population. I just fear many choose to relocate to where they have stronger familial and cultural ties, as you mention.
October 12, 20213 yr My mom and I dropped off some things to the Cleveland chapter of the US Committee for Refugees and Imigrants (USCRI) and they said that 16 refugees came in last Friday and I believe 6 more were coming yesterday. Mainly families with at least 1 kid but some with many kids. I believe they said that they have welcomed 80 people so far and that they are capping themselves at 100 for now but could help more in the future depending on resources. This is just one group settling people in Cleveland though.
October 12, 20213 yr well i assumed or thought i had read cleveland was the primary site for ohio, but regardless of where they are sent to around the state, i just assumed it would be many more people, like a somali influx. i guess when you take the whole usa into consideration for afghan refugees and that the feds seemed to have spread them out more this time it makes sense.
January 23, 20223 yr Great stats & maps! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 28, 20223 yr From the annual report of one of the Cleveland relocation organizations. https://76d13a6b-8e0b-45d6-9ea4-cfd578cfa494.usrfiles.com/ugd/76d13a_5e557f5ef1ff4349b1e3c9ba8200d69e.pdf I’ve heard with all organizations combined, 600+ Afghans have been relocated to Cleveland...which is now already higher than originally projected. Edited January 28, 20223 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
January 31, 20223 yr https://www.ideastream.org/news/cleveland-health-centers-are-working-overtime-to-screen-a-large-influx-of-afghan-refugees Local aid organization says they expect over 1200 refugees this year.
February 3, 20223 yr Check it out…CLE Refugee Response replied to my tweet (side note: I’m new to Twitter; feel free to follow me):
February 3, 20223 yr all you hear from right wingers is the usa is being invaded by central americans pouring over the border. yet zip of that supposed massive movement has been mentioned here, or anywhere else in ohio afaik. hmm, it makes one wonder ...
February 11, 20223 yr Sponsors needed to help the new immigrants navigate life in Cleveland / America: Non-profit in need of family sponsors for Afghan refugees to help them with day-to-day needs By: Nadeen Abusada Posted at 6:16 PM, Feb 10, 2022 CLEVELAND — Afghan refugees are coming into Cleveland by the dozen every week, and the U.S. Committee of Refugees and Immigrants say they need more sponsors to help those families acclimate to life in America. “Sponsorship can also be a one-hour-a-week commitment for a family to just take them to the grocery store,” said Amanda and Heather. “The other day we walked to the bank and set up a bank account. We also went to the grocery store and started figuring out the difference between salted and unsalted cashews.” Right now, 90% of refugee families in Cleveland don't have a sponsor. If you are interested in sponsoring click here. USCRI says if sponsoring isn’t for you, they also always need donations, volunteers and translators. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/non-profit-in-need-of-family-sponsors-for-afghan-refugees-to-help-them-with-day-to-day-needs?_amp=true Edited February 11, 20223 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
February 12, 20223 yr Hey guys, I know I keep posting stuff, but I definitely have a soft spot for immigrants searching for a normal life and happiness… especially here in Cleveland. A few good recent stories:
February 22, 20223 yr Having such a large Ukrainian population, do we know if the refuge services in Cleveland are prepared to take a large influx of immigrants if the worst case scenario happens and thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians are displaced?
February 22, 20223 yr 41 minutes ago, cle_guy90 said: Having such a large Ukrainian population, do we know if the refuge services in Cleveland are prepared to take a large influx of immigrants if the worst case scenario happens and thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians are displaced? On 2/2/2022 at 7:19 PM, MuRrAy HiLL said: Check it out…CLE Refugee Response replied to my tweet (side note: I’m new to Twitter; feel free to follow me):
February 24, 20223 yr From everything I was hearing, I knew the Cleveland number was over 700 new immigrants. And families continue to arrive each week. In the Last Few Months, Cleveland Has Become Home to Nearly 700 Afghan Refugees in an Unprecedented Immigration Wave By Sam Allard February 23, 2022 “To put the numbers into context,” Hamm told Scene in late January, “we resettled fewer than 100 immigrants all of last year. We resettled more folks in the span of two months, all from Afghanistan, than we did in the previous two years combined.” ————— Ramzia was born in a province far in the northeastern part of the country, near the borders of both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. She grew up, however, in the capital city and was pursuing a degree in political science at the local university when the Taliban took over. Ramzia said she fled Afghanistan because she had no other choice. For now, with the aid of USCRI, Ramzia has secured a job in food service at University Hospitals and is living in an apartment in Coventry Village in Cleveland Heights after weeks of housing instability at multiple local hotels. “I now truly have everything I need,” she said. “I have a safe place to live. I have food to eat. And I have a plan to start studying. I am so happy to be in Cleveland. Everyone here is so kind.” https://m.clevescene.com/cleveland/in-the-last-few-months-cleveland-has-become-home-to-nearly-700-afghan-refugees-in-an-unprecedented-immigration-wave/Content?oid=38445122 Edited February 24, 20223 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
February 24, 20223 yr 15 hours ago, MuRrAy HiLL said: From everything I was hearing, I knew the Cleveland number was over 700 new immigrants. And families continue to arrive each week. The planning forecast for all of Ohio was only 885 when the resettlement numbers were first being dreamed up last September. Fortunately plans can change. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghan-refugees-resettled-by-state/ Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
February 24, 20223 yr In the Last Few Months, Cleveland Has Become Home to Nearly 700 Afghan Refugees in an Unprecedented Immigration Wave Cleveland is now among the U.S. cities with the most Afghan evacuees, and USCRI has roughly quadrupled its staff to accommodate the flood of new arrivals and the array of services that resettlement entails: from housing and employment – the two biggies – to enrollment in benefits programs, medical screenings, school and youth outreach, and a cascade of social and geographical orientations complicated by language and cultural barriers. https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/in-the-last-few-months-cleveland-has-become-home-to-nearly-700-afghan-refugees-in-an-unprecedented-immigration-wave/Content?oid=38445122&utm_source=feature&utm_medium=home&utm_campaign=hpfeatures&utm_content=HomeTopFeature
February 24, 20223 yr Sadly, the news of last night and this morning means we are going to have more refugees, this time from Ukraine. Some estimates are that Greater Cleveland has the fourth-largest number of people who are either Ukrainian-born or are direct descendants of Ukrainians. Given the size of Greater Cleveland's Ukrainian community and that refugees tend to go where they can find a support structure of relatives and friends, we are likely to see thousands of people come here. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 24, 20223 yr 3 hours ago, KJP said: Sadly, the news of last night and this morning means we are going to have more refugees, this time from Ukraine. Some estimates are that Greater Cleveland has the fourth-largest number of people who are either Ukrainian-born or are direct descendants of Ukrainians. Given the size of Greater Cleveland's Ukrainian community and that refugees tend to go where they can find a support structure of relatives and friends, we are likely to see thousands of people come here. I would encourage everyone to call Senators Portman and Brown and whoever your congressperson is to urge immediate adoption of a special visa program with immigration assistance and lifting of refugee caps for Ukrainian refugees. I've seen estimates ranging from one to five million refugees, which is a humanitarian disaster. They're going to start in Poland, but there is no way that Poland (a country of 38 million with a bit of a xenophobic streak) is going to be a good long-term home for all these people. We're all focused on sanctions and military conflict, but thinking ahead about the refugee crisis is an urgent problem and something we can actually do to help the Ukrainians without stepping into World War III.
February 25, 20223 yr City of Cleveland ready to welcome refugees fleeing war amid Russian invasion in Ukraine By Chris Anderson Published: Feb. 25, 2022 at 6:59 AM EST|Updated: 1 hour ago https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/02/25/city-cleveland-ready-welcome-refugees-fleeing-war-amid-russian-invasion-ukraine/ Edited February 25, 20223 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
February 28, 20223 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 6, 20223 yr Wouldn't Slavic Village, largely physically intact but way underpopulated, make a good site for resettling say 20,000 Ukrainian refugees? It would be easy to increase RTA service; there are lots of retail storefronts waiting to come back to life; it is fairly near employment centers; and I don't think existing residents of the city would feel threatened or displaced. Maybe just wishful thinking on my part. Edited March 6, 20223 yr by Dougal Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
March 6, 20223 yr On 2/27/2022 at 11:28 PM, KJP said: I agree. Do this is "virtue signalling" and/or "performative BS"
March 6, 20223 yr 49 minutes ago, Dougal said: Wouldn't Slavic Village, largely physically intact but way underpopulated, make a good site for resettling say 20,000 Ukrainian refugees? It would be easy to increase RTA service; there are lots of retail storefronts waiting to come back to life; it is fairly near employment centers; and I don't think existing residents of the city would feel threatened or displaced. Maybe just wishful thinking on my part. That would be nice, although Parma's Ukrainian Village would probably be more likely.
March 6, 20223 yr 2 hours ago, LibertyBlvd said: That would be nice, although Parma's Ukrainian Village would probably be more likely. Maybe, but is Parma's UV big enough for a sizable number? I'm thinking Cleveland could sponsor a BIG number. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
March 6, 20223 yr 1 hour ago, Dougal said: Maybe, but is Parma's UV big enough for a sizable number? I'm thinking Cleveland could sponsor a BIG number. Not sure. 20,000 is a sizeable number for any community, especially if they all come in a short period of time.
March 7, 20223 yr ^ wait, cle is getting 20k refugees?? regardless, good ideas -- slavic village is definitely waiting for any and all to repopulate itself.
March 7, 20223 yr 1 hour ago, mrnyc said: ^ wait, cle is getting 20k refugees?? regardless, good ideas -- slavic village is definitely waiting for any and all to repopulate itself. Just a number I threw out that might be possible for the city. In 1956 the whole of the US took only 30K Hungarians. 20K is a big bite, but as the Navy guys say, "No guts no air medal." Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
March 7, 20223 yr I think this is going to play out over an extended period of time. I don't know what the final number will be but l'll be happy if we get 10,000. 'Course the more the merrier.
March 9, 20223 yr As we’ve come to know the Ukrainian people better through this tragic invasion, there’s a sense of incredible respect and admiration for their strength and character. I’m generally a proponent of Cleveland opening its doors to international refugees but especially so with Ukraine, particularly given the lineage of Cleveland over the last century and it’s rich tradition of Eastern European communities. The ethnic diversity of Cleveland is one of its great strengths. And a population increase for the city? Yes, please!
March 10, 20223 yr On 3/9/2022 at 3:57 PM, CleveFan said: As we’ve come to know the Ukrainian people better through this tragic invasion, there’s a sense of incredible respect and admiration for their strength and character. I know, I married one and embraced her son as my own. 🙂 But as I've been sharing in the Ukraine thread in the Current Events section, it's extremely difficult and sometimes therapeutic to doomscroll in Twitter. My wife's mother, father and brothers are in Ukraine (although her brothers' families got out). It's surreal to see places that you know be destroyed by combat and terrorism. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 16, 20223 yr GREAT listen!! Northeast Ohio agencies prepare for summit and possible resettlement of Ukraine refugees AUTHOR Leigh Barr AIR DATE Mar. 16, 2022 at 9:00 am Guests: Darren Hamm, Field Office Director, Cleveland, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Patrick Kearns, Executive Director, The Refugee Response Jacob Duritsky, Vice President, Strategy & Research, Team NEO Marsha Mockabee, President and CEO, The Urban League of Greater Cleveland Rebecca Kuzma, Chief Operating Officer, Strengthening Stark Andy Chow, Correspondent, Statehouse News Bureau, Ohio Public Radio/TV Alicia Roth, Ph.D., Sleep Disorders Center, The Cleveland Clinic https://www.ideastream.org/programs/sound-of-ideas/northeast-ohio-agencies-prepare-for-summit-and-possible-resettlement-of-ukraine-refugees
March 22, 20223 yr if you are wondering where they are -- backlogs for ukraine refugees thanks to system gutted by orange man: More than 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24, the U.N. reported Friday. Some of them are seeking visas to come to the U.S., only to encounter staggering waits at U.S. embassies and consulates in central and eastern Europe just to apply for them. As of Friday the wait for an appointment at the U.S. consulate in Krakow, Poland, to apply for a visitor visa was 100 days, according to the State Department. The wait was 134 days at the U.S. embassy in Warsaw, 157 days at U.S. consulate in Frankfurt, 170 days in Vienna, and 329 days — nearly 11 months — at the U.S. embassy in Chisinau, Moldova. The U.S. embassies in Bucharest, Romania, and Budapest, Hungary, are so overwhelmed they are not even booking appointments except in emergency cases, defined as travel needs “in support of critical infrastructure in the United States, or a life-or-death health emergency.” Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, many U.S. consulates and embassies had long wait times for appointments because of the pandemic. The flood of refugees quickly exacerbated the delays. more: https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2022/03/12/ukrainian-refugees-face-long-backlogs-for-u-s--visas
March 22, 20223 yr Normal government processes are designed to work in normal times. They are not designed to work in abnormal times. The obvious solution to the refugee problem is to expedite the process. That would entail officials switching from requiring every step to be completed in a orderly fashion to one focusing on resettling refugees as quickly as possible. The easy part is that in the US there are organizations and cities willing to take them. The hard part is getting immigration officials to change how they work. The only way that happens is a top down edict. This is a crisis. Now is not the time for routine. Now is the time for leadership.
March 22, 20223 yr 1 hour ago, cadmen said: Normal government processes are designed to work in normal times. They are not designed to work in abnormal times. The obvious solution to the refugee problem is to expedite the process. That would entail officials switching from requiring every step to be completed in a orderly fashion to one focusing on resettling refugees as quickly as possible. The easy part is that in the US there are organizations and cities willing to take them. The hard part is getting immigration officials to change how they work. The only way that happens is a top down edict. This is a crisis. Now is not the time for routine. Now is the time for leadership. it would help if the state dept wasn't gutted and wrecked ...
March 22, 20223 yr ^ All the more reason to NOT follow every rule to the fullest. If State is gutted and demoralized from the Trump administration then they can't even handle normal guidelines. How are they expected to perform in these extraordinary times? The immigration process IS necessarily complex. It's designed to ensure fairness in adhering to mandates that allow certain numbers from certain countries. It also protects us from letting in criminals and terrorists. All well and good in normal times. Streamlining the process at this time will necessitate upsetting the status quo regarding the allowable number to come here from Ukraine as well as shortening the time for their admission. But if we want to help alleviate the suffering imposed on these people by Putin then we have to change the immigration rules if only temporarily. Of course if we were to do it in this case, it begs the question why don't we do it in every other case where a people were displaced because of war? That's a real can of worms there.
March 24, 20223 yr Cleveland nonprofit Joseph House gives new bikes to Afghan refugees Updated: Mar. 22, 2022, 12:15 p.m. | Published: Mar. 22, 2022, 8:00 a.m. By Alexis Oatman, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A new initiative byJoseph House, a nonprofit partnership of four Catholic churches in the Diocese of Cleveland, is aiming to help Afghan refugees as they settle into their new lives in Northeast Ohio. More than 800 refugees arrived in Ohiolast year after U.S. military forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban regained power. Many of them settled in the Cleveland area. Bikes were a highly requested item among the newly-arrived refugees, said Marty Frame, a volunteer for Joseph House. The partnership includes the Cleveland churches St. Vitus, Immaculate Conception and St. Paul Croatian, as well as Divine Word Catholic Church in Willoughby. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/03/cleveland-nonprofit-joseph-house-gives-new-bikes-to-afghan-refugees.html
March 24, 20223 yr Breaking news — US to officially announce Ukrainian refugee relocation. Of course, how many NEO will receive? US to welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees By Allie Malloy and Kevin Liptak, CNN Updated 9:15 AM EDT, Thu March 24, 2022 https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/24/politics/us-to-accept-more-ukrainian-refugees/index.html Edited March 24, 20223 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
March 25, 20223 yr Cleveland will likely get several thousand Ukrainian refugees, head of immigration group predicts Quote WASHINGTON, D. C. -- Global Cleveland was waiting for President Joe Biden’s Thursday announcement that the United States “will welcome 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States with a focus on reuniting families.” In the month since Russia invaded its neighbor, the organization that focuses on growing Northeast Ohio’s immigrant population has compiled a list of people who can offer housing, jobs, and other services to Ukraine refugees who make their way to the Cleveland area. That list already has around 100 names and is growing, Global Cleveland President Joe Cimperman said. ... Cimperman says it is too early to know how many refugees will come to Cleveland as a result of Biden’s announcement. Much depends on how easy it is for them to get visas, the terms of those visas, and whether the United States will accept Ukrainians who intend to return to their homeland when fighting abates rather than focusing on those who want to stay permanently. He estimates the region will eventually get 3,000 to 4,000 refugees but predicts many will return to help a devastated Ukraine rebuild. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/03/cleveland-will-likely-get-several-thousand-ukrainian-refugees-head-of-immigration-group-predicts.html
May 7, 20223 yr NEO Ukrainian refugee trying to raise money though yoga … weekly classes at Tremont’s Lincoln Park. https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/05/05/ukrainian-refugee-north-royalton-turns-yoga-raise-money-war-torn-country/ Edited May 7, 20223 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
May 7, 20223 yr ^ According to the news story link, an estimated 400 Ukrainian Refugees have already made it to Northeast Ohio since Feb.
May 10, 20223 yr On 5/7/2022 at 11:42 AM, MuRrAy HiLL said: ^ According to the news story link, an estimated 400 Ukrainian Refugees have already made it to Northeast Ohio since Feb. Many more are coming. My wife is working with an agency to help resettle them. They're swamped and they're expecting many more based on communications with family members. Thousands of them are having to come through Mexico and request parole status because of our screwed up immigration system. So they cannot get green cards for a year and therefore cannot legally work. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 10, 20223 yr Canada and especially Toronto is proving to be the better option... Tech Industry Warns That More Remote-Work Jobs Are Headed Out of U.S. Worker shortages, limited immigration in the U.S. may favor jobs in Canada and elsewhere WASHINGTON—Tech-industry representatives are coming to Capitol Hill this week to warn that the remote-work trend will lead to more offshoring of software developer and other technology jobs unless the U.S. admits more high-skilled immigrants. Remote jobs in tech jumped by more than 420% between January 2020 and last month, growth that was intensified by the pandemic, according to a jobs data review by Tecna, a trade group for regional tech councils. In February, more than 22% of all tech jobs were listed as remote, compared with 4.4% in January 2020. MORE: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-industry-warns-that-more-remote-work-jobs-are-headed-out-of-u-s-11652175000 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 10, 20223 yr 16 hours ago, KJP said: Many more are coming. My wife is working with an agency to help resettle them. They're swamped and they're expecting many more based on communications with family members. Thousands of them are having to come through Mexico and request parole status because of our screwed up immigration system. So they cannot get green cards for a year and therefore cannot legally work. Would be great to get 100k Ukrainian refugees here. That would raise the city's population by 25% overnight.
May 10, 20223 yr Missing young woman finally makes contact with Painesville pastor-- "After being without a phone for a period of three weeks, Nastya was finally able to reconnect with her parents through an old boss whom her parents also personally know. She had been isolated in her Mariupol apartment before leaving and finding a humanitarian checkpoint operated by the Russian government. “Her building was—we saw pictures of it where it was hit,” Littleton said. “Just the sides of it were black, windows were out, and she lived in that for three weeks before, it was another family member is all we can get out of it, who came in and convinced her to come out because you know, you’re a young pretty girl. Not big. Stuck here for weeks. The fear to leave her apartment was a lot.” http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
May 12, 20223 yr Here’s a follow up to the yoga story from above: https://facebook.com/events/s/ukraine-benefit-yoga/936993216995577/
June 16, 20222 yr I just learned about the existence of the Uniting 4 Ukraine program. Can someone help me understand is this a program designed for Ukrainian Americans to help their relatives get over here or is there a way for Americans who don't know any Ukrainians to find a Ukrainian to sponsor and sort of "adopt" them (using that term very loosely) for two years?
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