Refugee resettlement agencies in Connecticut said they are expecting a new wave of refugees from Afghanistan this week, as arrivals leave the military bases that have served as temporary housing.
Vicki Flippin, the pastor of First & Summerfield United Methodist Church in New Haven, said her church and other houses of worship are offering temporary shelter.
“For me it comes down to our biblical tradition’s biblical immigration policy, which is ‘You shall love the stranger, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.' This biblical policy reminds us that all of our stories are connected,” Flippin said.
Connecticut’s resettlement agencies estimate they will take in up to 1,000 refugees, mostly from Afghanistan, over the next year.
Agencies said refugees need permanent housing, goods like furniture and groceries — and they will be looking for jobs.