March 18, 2016 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said today that it is laying the groundwork to re-open an office in Missoula, Montana. From 1979-1991, the IRC worked with the Missoula community to welcome and support Hmong refugees.
“As we face the largest global refugee crisis since WWII, it is imperative that we work together to help mitigate suffering abroad,” said Missoula Mayor John Engen. “Missoulians take our humanitarian obligations seriously. We are proud to help in this endeavor and support the opening of a refugee resettlement office in Missoula.”
“Missoulians have shown the country – and the world – what it means to welcome the tired and poor, and to support them as they integrate and regain control of their lives,” said the IRC’s Bob Johnson. “We are looking forward to once again working with this community to help refugees integrate, become self-sufficient and add to the cultural and economic fabric of Montana.”
Johnson said that the IRC is particularly grateful to Soft Landing Missoula’s support for an IRC presence in Missoula.
The IRC anticipates approximately 100 people – all fleeing violence and persecution – could be resettled to the Missoula community in the first year of operations. On average, those refugees will have undergone two to three years of intensive vetting by U.S. and international agencies.