Afghan Refugees Won’t Be in New Hampshire Anytime Soon

It will likely take some time before Afghan refugees come to New Hampshire.

Two state resettlement agencies have submitted proposals to their national resettlement agencies and the U.S. Department of State, state Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Jake Leon told Seacoast Current.

"It will be weeks-to-months until Afghan refugees start arriving at some agencies across the United States, but it could take longer to arrive in New England," Leon said.

The state’s two resettlement agencies submitted their proposals to resettle Afghan refugees to their National Resettlement Agencies and the U.S. Department of State.

"Ascentria Care Alliance, the Concord based agency, has proposed resettling 100 refugee individuals in total, while the International Institute of New England, the Manchester based agency, will likely not be resettling any at the moment given the agency has a local branch in Lowell, Mass., that already has a significant Afghan population there," Leon said.

The refugees are currently housed at eight military bases around the country and are going through extensive vetting, processing, health screenings, vaccinations, and applying for work authorization, according to Leon.

U.S. Northern Command head Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck told The Hill that over 25,000 Afghans have come to the United States and 1,000 have moved off the bases.

The closest are staying in a camp called Liberty Village at the Joint Base Dix-McGuire-Lakehurst in New Jersey where up to 9,500 can be comfortably housed.

Members of the New Hampshire Air National Guard's 157th Air Refueling Wing have joined a task force to assist with the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan at the Joint Base.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH