An uptick in refugees coming to Bowling Green
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Current White House policy means that fewer refugees are coming to the United States. In Bowling Green that’s not the case, in fact there’s been an increase in the number of refugees that are coming here.
At the end of last year, the International Center of Kentucky saw numbers start to trickle down, leading them to believe that there would be fewer refugees coming to Bowling Green this year. Yet, that has not been the case.
Since January, 86 refugees have resettled in bowling green. The Board Chairman at the International Center of Kentucky said that’s double the amount from December of last year.
“We’ve got a good track record of bringing people in and pretty quickly getting them to be self-sufficient,” said Dr. Allen Youngman, Board Chairman at the International Center of Kentucky.
Kentucky is one of the top 10 states where refugees come to resettle. They come to Bowling Green and quickly assimilate into community life.
“A lot of businesses struggle to find people who want to work. Refugees across the board show a strong work ethic, and a real desire to work,” said Youngman.
The Refugee Program Coordinator at Community Action said it’s good for the economy when more refugees come to Bowling Green.
“When Refugees come into new communities, they revitalize communities that may have started to fall by the wayside. We see crime rates go down, and they contributing to the community with their taxes. They’re more likely to start their own business then native-born Americans,” said Heath Ray, Refugee Program Coordinator at Community Action.
More than 80% of refugees that arrive in Bowling Green work full-time.
“They come here seeking the American dream, but they know it’s not going to be handed to them. They have to work hard for that, and they’re eager to do so,” said Ray.
The Trump Administration has set a 30,000 cap for the number of refugees allowed to settle in the U.S. this year. So, it’s not clear if numbers in Bowling Green will continue growing.
