In August 2021, the United States withdrew its military personnel from Afghanistan that ended a 20-year war. What proceeded was the fall of the interim government with a global humanitarian and refugee crisis. The military alone evacuated approximately 124,000 during the operation with approximately 76,000 Afghan nationals arriving on US soil.
The Incoming Project | FRAME & PLAN
Access to resettlement agencies during the Afghan Refugee arrival period (August 2021-April 2022) was non-existent. Agencies were under intense scrutiny from the government, media, advocates and local charities. Paperwork backlogs from previous refugees also confounded the resettlement process impacting services.
Once the project got access to the resettlement system in Baltimore, a multitude of stressors was emerging. In Baltimore, these “stressors” were affecting the resettlement system externally. The external stressors were affecting all levels and agencies ability to provide key services for refugees. The project took a macro-level approach to examine and categorize these external stressors into a framework.
Through in-person interviews, news media, insights and surveys, the arrival checklist was not happening. Assistance for the newly arrived Afghan refugees was inadequate with US Refugee Resettlement Program thrown in chaos. Case managers and refugee advocates were stretched thin, over worked and burned out along with a host of other issues that pushed the system to its breaking point.
The PEST Analysis Framework is commonly used in business settings and focuses on the Political, Economic, Social and Technological External Stressors on a business or system. The project took a macro-level approach to put the External Stressors affecting the resettlement system into the PEST framework.
RESEARCH & SYNTHESIS
IDEATE
Once refugees arrive into the US, they are met with case managers or representatives from a resettlement agency who work with local affiliates to begin the resettlement and integration process. Typically, refugees have 90-days to be self-sufficient and there is a checklist they must complete with the help of a resettlement case manager. However, a large phenomenon was happening. Refugees could not getting the support and benefits afforded to them as required under their designated immigration status.
“Affordable and safe housing is difficult to find…”
“Lack of consistent, reliable funding, changes in political policy/public support for immigrants…”
“Role of state/federal/non-profit agencies cause misunderstandings and frustrations as groups feel entitled to services and do not understand the challenges that delay those services.”
“Delayed services from federal and state agencies which create cascading effect of other services being delayed for refugees."
Themes & Insights
-Resettlement Advocates
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Factors affecting a refugee case manager or agency’s ability to provide key services (i.e. housing, school enrollment, healthcare, etc.)
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Limited technical, legal, labor and financial resources properly channeled for refugee support and integration
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Have previous refugees and asylees experienced the same tensions that the current Afghan refugees experience or is it unique.
Guiding Questions
"…without intentional collaboration and regular communication with resettlement providers, it is difficult to provide service or know how to fill gaps.”
-Resettlement Advocate
Collaborators: Immigration Outreach Service Center (IOSC), Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA)
Academic Advisors: Thomas Gardner, Picket Slater-Harrington