Maryland’s Welcoming Environment For Afghan Refugees Benefits Our Communities

As the last troops withdrew from Kabul Airport, the U.S. ended its two-decade long war in Afghanistan with the Taliban, unfortunately, back in power. It is a moment for Afghans, home or abroad, that causes a great deal of grief.

In the span of nearly three weeks, the U.S. evacuated roughly 123,000 Afghan civilians, about 5,000 U.S. citizens, with upwards of 80,000 eligible for resettlement in the U.S. either through the Special Immigrant Visas (SIV-visa) or Priority-2 visas. These are special visas for those who’ve aided the U.S. in its efforts in Afghanistan and those who may be potential targets for Taliban retribution. With Maryland receiving 180 Afghan refugees so far and likely more to come, it’s imperative that we live up to our history of welcoming and supporting families fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries. More important, we must reject the anti-refugee sentiment growing among top lawmakers and conservative pundits.

For Afghan refugees, resettlement is a stressful endeavor, from extensive vetting to integrating into a new community. Those who have the option of choice often prefer to settle near family or in communities where many Afghans already live. Maryland ranks fourth in receiving SIV-visa holders and an estimated 3,000 Afghans lived in Maryland between 2015 and 2019, according to data from the American Community Survey. Baltimore is listed as a “welcoming” destination for SIV holders.

Expanding outward to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area (including the District and Northern Virginia), that number rises to roughly 12,545, according to research by the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University. Afghan immigrants who settled here in prior years are well educated, earn decent wages, and are contributing members of their communities:

• 26% of foreign-born Afghans have a bachelor’s degree, while 28% have some college or associate’s degree compared to 21% and 18% respectively of all other foreign-born immigrants.
• The median family income is $65,000, compared to $72,393 for all other foreign-born immigrants.
• 17% of Afghan immigrants are self-employed compared to 10% of foreign-born immigrants and 7% of native-born U.S. citizens

The data on prior Afghan immigrants shows that providing a welcoming environment and the financial and other supports for newly arriving families to get settled has long-term benefits for our communities.  As more Afghan refugees arrive between now and late fall, aiding their resettlement with open arms is step one. As Governor Hogan states, “We have a moral obligation to help them. It’s the least we can do.”

We are not limited in how we can help refugees. The Maryland Office for Refugees and Asylees, in conjunction with local resettlement agencies, including Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, International Rescue Committee (Baltimore and Silver Spring Offices), and Ethiopian Community Development Council, offers a range of programs to support newly arrived refugees. It is critical that these resettlement programs provide the services our new neighbors need to begin their new lives. For those looking to donate items, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Muslim Family Center, Islamic Society of Baltimore and Dar-Al Taqwa Islamic Center are collecting household supplies for Afghan refugees.