COLUMBIA, S.C. — Given the recent Taliban take-over in Afghanistan and US withdrawal, many refugees will be seeking asylum to avoid persecution in the country they've called home.
President Biden has been notifying Governors of the refugee coordination and South Carolina organizations have begun preparing.
“Really we just agree with the governor of South Carolina that it’s our duty to welcome refugees," said Brandon Baughn who works at one of two South Carolina refugee services that are preparing to welcome around 137 Afghan people.
“It’s important to note that when we’re talking about refugees we’re talking about individuals who have fled persecution so they have a well-founded fear of persecution for something based on their identity," Baughn explains.
The US offers asylum to those who have gone through vigorous vetting and organizations like World Relief and Lutheran Services Carolinas help to acclimate them.
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Baughn says, “We meet them at the airport and then take them to their apartment and then from that point we just meet with them the next day talking with them through the process of applying for benefits they may qualify for, helping them acclimate to the new community, helping them with that integration process.”
These organizations work with their communities to help these refugees as best they can, “Just those who are vulnerable and those who are in danger, being ready to welcome them and to integrate them into our community and to provide that safe space that they’re in such desperate need for.”
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