Preparing to welcome Ukrainian refugees in the commonwealth
March 9, 2022 WBUR – Tiziana Dearing and Franziska Monahan
It’s been less than two weeks since Russia began its violent invasion of Ukraine. In that time, as many as 2.2 million people — women and children mostly — have fled the country, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
The UN is calling it the fastest-growing refugee crisis on the continent since the Second World War. The Biden Administration has stated that the U.S. is prepared to take in refugees from Ukraine and has granted temporary protections to Ukrainians already in the US. But they haven’t yet authorized new arrivals of refugees from Ukraine.
Lawmakers and communities here want the administration to give that green light, and are preparing to welcome new neighbors who might arrive in the coming months. How would that work, and how ready are we?
We’re joined by Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), and Marwa Alnaal Director of Government Affairs at the Ascentria Care Alliance.
Listen to the episode:
