150 Ukrainian refugees arrived in the US: what can they expect

Nearly 150 Ukrainians have arrived in the US since March, and many newcomers rely on their new communities to survive as they struggle to overcome the trauma of war. USAToday.

Photo: IStock

“Like all refugees, they are starting from scratch,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Service in Baltimore. “They lost their homes, left loved ones behind, and saw terrible pictures of the war. All this is a huge psychological burden.”

At the end of March, President Joe Biden pledged that the US would accept up to 100 Ukrainian refugees, as well as provide $000 billion in humanitarian aid to those affected by the war. While that target has already been reached, according to the US Department of Homeland Security, that number is still only a fraction of the estimated 1 million Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion.

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In addition, for many, the future is in doubt as more than half of the refugees are admitted on a temporary basis, meaning they will eventually have to return home, whether or not there is a home to return to.

“It’s important that the U.S. continues to provide asylum,” Vignarajah said. “But it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the huge influx we saw.”

According to her, of the more than 6 million Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland, 1,3 million found refuge in Poland, about 1 million in Germany and 413 thousand in the Czech Republic.

Over time, the biggest unknown for many may be their legal status, as many have only been allowed to come to the US temporarily.

“This is a big open question that weighs heavily on anyone who comes from Ukraine,” said Anna-Marie Bena, vice president of the U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants, a refugee resettlement agency based in Arlington, Virginia.

About half of those who entered the US came as part of a special Unity for Ukraine program launched in April as an emergency response to the crisis. The program allows individuals in the US to sponsor Ukrainian refugees for entry through "humanitarian parole" status, similar to that used for Afghan refugees evacuated to the US last year.

Participation in the program gives refugees faster entry into the US compared to the US Refugee Admissions Program, a slow process that can take up to a year.

As of August 19, the USCIS has received more than 109 requests from individuals wishing to support Ukrainian refugees through the Unity for Ukraine program, according to DHS.

More than 38 program refugee data has been processed, according to the agency. A similar number has been approved but has yet to arrive; under the program, refugees are responsible for making their own travel reservations.

Meanwhile, more than 24 Ukrainians' data has been processed through other programs since March 79, the agency said, including temporary visas and the main U.S. refugee program. Some 000 Ukrainian refugees arrived via the US-Mexico border earlier this year, but the route has since been largely closed.

While there is no exact data on where the refugees are resettling, advocates say most refugees are heading to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as cities like Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles. Others appear in unexpected places, Vinyaraja said.

“Hundreds of people showed up at one of our Jacksonville, Florida, locations,” she said.

Finding essentials in a new environment

Those who arrive are mostly women and children, and the route they take to the US determines the level of social services they receive upon arrival.

Persons admitted under the United States Refugee Admissions Program, in which persons are referred by the United Nations, receive assistance with basic needs such as housing, employment and school enrollment, and other benefits. In addition, such refugees have a stronger legal basis when it comes to legal permanent residence, which they can apply for after a year in the US.

“The downside is that it’s a slow process, but the upside is that it involves comprehensive services,” said J.C. Hendrickson, senior director of resettlement, asylum and integration policy and advocacy for the International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement agency based in New York.

And while refugees may not get their first apartment or job of their choice, "it puts people on the path to self-reliance," Hendrickson said.

Unity for Ukraine was created as an emergency measure to get around the slow pace of this program. However, the Unity for Ukraine program relies on private sponsors—for example, family members of Ukrainians living in the United States—who not only vouch for applicants, but are also responsible for their financial support upon arrival.

“We hope that the people sponsoring refugees are people they can trust to help them, so they're not completely dependent on social services,” said Bena of the U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants. “But there are really no consequences for sponsors if they don’t meet their obligations.”

In addition, such refugees are only entitled to stay in the country for up to two years without official assistance from social services or a path to legal residence.

While Unity for Ukraine refugees who are affiliated with resettlement agencies may apply for financial assistance through Congressional approved supplemental assistance, they may not be aware of these resources. IRC recently partnered with a workforce solutions company to launch a phone support line to help close the gap.

“The sponsor may not know the details of what the refugee needs to do,” Hendrickson said. “That’s what these efforts are designed to facilitate.”

"What will the house look like?"

Housing has been a constant and growing problem for many Americans in recent years, and Ukrainian refugees will be no exception, Bena said. The same will be true for employment, given the difficulties associated with a foreign language or professionals whose diplomas are not valid in the United States.

She compared the situation to that faced by Afghan refugees, for whom bills have been introduced in Congress to help strengthen their immigration status and pave the way to legal residence.

“I don’t know anything about this group of Ukrainians yet,” she said. “There seems to be an assumption that Ukrainians will want to return home, but the question arises: what will their home be like in two years?”

Vinyaraja agreed.

“Some have seen their cities fall into ruins or have been annexed by Russia, so they are not safe,” she said. She added that while some of them may apply for asylum, “war is not a reason to apply. The US needs to make sure Ukrainians don't get caught in legal limbo."

Bena said that while her agency has a network of lawyers dealing with Afghan refugee cases across the country, it is only now beginning to hire lawyers for Ukrainian cases.

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“We see what they can claim,” she said. “It’s really worrying for people who just don’t know their rights and options.”

In the meantime, she says, simply welcoming refugees and helping them integrate into their new communities can go a long way.

“They were fleeing the war,” she said. “It’s important to have the support of the community here at this time.”

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