Bowling Green area scheduled to receive refugees from Afghanistan

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The International Center of Kentucky, located in Bowling Green, has been notified that up to 200 refugees from Afghanistan will be arriving over the next few months, possibly starting as soon as next week, along with an additional 100 scheduled for Owensboro, according to a press release from the International Center.

“We’ve been informed that these first refugees from Afghanistan are among those who were already in the processing pipeline, had already been vetted, and were awaiting final clearance for the past several months,” said Albert Mbanfu, the Executive Director. The Bowling Green office has been in operation since 1981 and usually handles around 400 refugees each year. “We provide new arrivals with housing and other support for their first few months in order to help them assimilate as smoothly as possible.” 

“Usually, refugees are enrolled in both the SNAP and Medicaid programs but most of our clients become financially self-sufficient within about 90 days and are no longer eligible for those programs because they go to work almost immediately and by then are earning too much to qualify for them. In the case of the Afghans coming in, because of the way that those programs are currently structured, they will receive other assistance rather than Medicaid or SNAP,” said Mr. Mbanfu. “We understand that reconciling those issues is a matter of ongoing discussions between the US State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services so that may change at some point.”

“This is a positive story on several different levels,” according to retired Army Major General Allen Youngman who currently serves as the International Center Board Chair. “We will not only be keeping faith with those who fought beside our military personnel in Afghanistan over the past two decades, we also will be welcoming hardworking people who will help fill job vacancies in our community. Many of the Afghans who will be resettled in South Central Kentucky will be coming with their employment authorization already approved.”

“It‘s also our understanding that all of the Afghan refugees arriving in this country will have been Covid-19 tested prior to arrival and that those old enough to be vaccinated will receive their first vaccine prior to leaving the processing centers being established in this country,” Mr. Mbanfu said.