MORE AFGHAN REFUGEES ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE TO OUR AREA GIVEN THE MASS EXODUS FROM THE
COUNTRY AFTER THE TALIBAN
TAKEOVER ABOUT
9 DAYS AGO. IN ADDITION AFGHANS
WHO QUALIFY FOR A SPECIAL
IMMIGRANT VISA. ALSO KNOWN AS S
I V ARE EXPECTED TO RELOCATE HERE CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS HELPING TO FIND THEM HOMES AND
HAS ACTUALLY BEEN RESETTLING
REFUGEES FOR ABOUT
4 YEARS, MATT SCHMIDT IS THE
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR CATHOLIC
CHARITIES, JACKSONVILLE AND
JOINS US VIA ZOOM THIS MORNING,
GOOD MORNING, THANKS FOR BEING
WITH US.
WHICH YOU FIRST
EXPLAIN WHO SPECIAL IMMIGRANT
VISAS ARE OFFERED TO AS IT
RELATES TO AFGHANIS.
>> GOOD
JUST CLARIFY WE’VE BEEN
RESELLING REFUGEES FOR NEARLY
40 YEARS HERE AT THE
TEMPERATURES
IN JACKSONVILLE. A SPECIAL
IMMIGRANT VISA IS ONE OF THE
FEDERAL PROGRAMS REFUGEES
WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE A
CERTAIN SPECIAL PATH. 4.
PEOPLE FROM AFGHANISTAN
AND IRAQ THAT HAVE HELPED THE
UNITED STATES. AMERICAN FORCES
OF THE CAMPAIGNS IN
THOSE COUNTRIES THE APPLICANT
IS ONE WHO HAS HELPED THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IN
THOSE CAMPAIGNS. NORMALLY AS A
TRANSLATOR OR SOMEONE IN THE
LOGISTICS. THOSE PEOPLE THAT
HAVE BEEN HELPING UNITED
STATES. THEY’RE THE ONES THAT
THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR
AND HOW.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: HOW ARE YOU
THEN ABLE TO CATHOLIC CHARITIES
ABLE TO REACH OUT OR CONNECT
WITH THOSE
IN AFGHANISTAN TO HELP RELOCATE
SIDE THESE OR OTHER REFUGEES
THAT ARE DESPERATE TO GET OUT
OF THE COUNTRY HERE TO
JACKSONVILLE.
>> SO THAT IS HANDLED AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL. THE FEDERAL
THEY FIRST DO THE VETTING AND
THE VETTING PROCESS UP TO 2
YEARS AND THERE ARE STRICT
BACKGROUND CHECKS BIOMETRICS
CHECKS
HEALTH SCREENINGS SEVERAL
INFANT IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS
THAT HAPPEN BEFORE AN SUV IS
EVEN ALLOWED APPROVAL TO COME
INTO UNITED STATES. ONCE THERE
COME ONCE THEY ARE APPROVED BY
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THEY
ARE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL INTO
UNITED STATES AND WHEN THEY
ARRIVE THEY MAY ARRIVE IN
JACKSONVILLE WITH LITTLE TO NO
NOTICE ONCE THEY ARRIVE HERE.
WE SCREEN THEM WE GET THEM
APPROVED FOR SERVICES AND THEN
WE
PROVIDE THEM WITH SERVICES AS
WE DO ANY OTHER REFUGEE TO COME
TO
THE FEDERAL.
>>LAUREN VERNO: PROCESS AND
JUST A CURIOSITY GIVEN THE FACT
THAT THERE WAS THIS LAST MINUTE
SO TO SPEAK EXIT THIS, I MEAN
WE KNEW ABOUT THE WITHDRAW
OBVIOUSLY, BUT THAT NO ONE EVER
ANTICIPATED WHAT WE CERTAINLY
SAW THE AIRPORT LAST WEEK.
>> IS THERE. YOU KNOW IS THERE
ANY FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES
TO THAT 2 YEARS MEAN THERE ARE
PEOPLE WE’VE
HEARD FROM WHO WORK FOR EITHER
NATO FORCES OR FOR THE U.S.
DURING THE WAR AND THEY ARE
TRULY IN FEAR FOR THEIR LIFE
AND NEED TO GET OUT OF THE
COUNTRY RIGHT AWAY.
>> RIGHT AND AS WE’VE SEEN ON
ALL THE YOU KNOW THE ALL THE
VIDEO THAT WE’RE SEEING FROM
THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW THERE ARE
MANY PEOPLE FLEEING
THE COUNTRY, SOME OF THEM HAVE
HELPED THE UNITED STATES IN THE
CAMPAIGN, SO THEY WOULD QUALIFY
FOR THE SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA.
APPLICATION PROCESS,
BUT MANY ARE JUST FLEEING FOR
THEIR LIVES. BUT THE PROGRAM IS
A FEDERALLY FEDERALLY MANDATED
FEDERALLY-RUN PROGRAM. SO WE
HAVE LITTLE TO DO WITH THAT
SCREENING PROCESS. THAT IS A
STATE DEPARTMENT PROGRAM, IT’S
RUN THROUGH THE OFFICE OF
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AND
IF THERE STREAMLINING IT I
WOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT
THAT’S DONE AT THE UNDERSTOOD
SO WE RECEIVED AN E-MAIL
ACTUALLY FRIDAY.
>> FROM A WOMAN ASKING IF
THERE’S A NEED FOR LOCAL
CHURCHES OR EVEN RESIDENTS TO
OPEN THEIR BUILDINGS IN THEIR
HOMES TO
THESE AFGHANIS.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: IS THAT
SOMETHING THE CATHOLIC
CHARITIES COULD USE IN TERMS OF
AND IT’S NOT THAT
WHAT ELSE. COULD YOU USED TO
HELP IN YOUR IN YOUR PROGRAM
AND YOUR WORK WITH THESE
REFUGEES.
>> AND IT’S A THAT’S A GREAT
QUESTION AND APPRECIATE YOU
ASKING ABOUT. SO TEMPERATURES
IS ONE
OF SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE
COMMUNITY WE WORK WITH OTHER
AGENCIES UNDER OTHER
COMEY ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS
MISSION OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
HERE IN JACKSONVILLE.
DEPARTMENT STORE FAMILY STATE
OF FLORIDA. AND SOCIAL SERVICES
JUST NAME A COUPLE. BUT WE
COULD ALWAYS USE HELP WHEN WE
RE A
REFUGEE FAMILY. FIRST AND
FOREMOST WE PRIDE OURSELVES
WITH FINDING A
U.S. TIE, A FAMILY MEMBER OR
FRIEND THAT THEY’VE KNOWN
ALREADY THAT IS ALREADY CELL
HERE IN JACKSONVILLE. THEY HELP
WITH THAT RESETTLEMENT PROCESS
INITIALLY THEY MAY BE ABLE TO
STAY WITH THAT FAMILY ARE IN
TOWN OTHERWISE WE SET THEM UP
WITH THEIR FIRST APARTMENT WITH
A FEDERALLY APPROVED FUNDING
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND WE SET
THEM UP WITH THEIR FIRST
APARTMENT. WE’LL CONNECT THEM
TO JOBS. CRITICAL SERVICES TO
HELP THEM BECOME
SELF-SUFFICIENT HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES. WE CAN ALWAYS
USE HELP WITH THIS MISSION.
RIGHT NOW WE’RE GOING TO BE
LOOKING FOR. DONATIONS OF
FURNITURE TO HELP US UP TO
THOSE APARTMENTS, NEW OR GENTLY
USED FURNITURE.
BUT WE COULD ALWAYS USE
MONETARY
UNDERSTANDING THAT IF SOMEONE
DOES DONATE TO CHARITIES FOR
THE REFUGEES ON THE PROGRAM
EVERY PENNY OF THAT GOES
DIRECTLY TO A REFUGEE. IT DOES
NOT GO TO OUR STAFF ARE TO OUR
OPERATIONAL COSTS. THE OLDEST
REFUGEE FAMILIES. >>JENNIFER WAUGH: MANAGEMENT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS