The IRC in Denver is incredibly grateful for the support and generosity from communities across Colorado during the past several months as we have resettled hundreds of Afghan humanitarian parolees.  

An Afghan family of three, including a woman, a man, and a young boy, in Richmond, Virginia sitting in their living room on the floor.
An Afghan family in Richmond, Virginia sitting in their living room.

The IRC in Denver continues to support newly arrived Afghans by providing vital services as they adjust to a new life in Colorado. From September to March, the IRC in Denver resettled 789 new clients! Of that total, 687 clients are Afghans enrolled in the Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) program and 5 clients are Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders. The IRC in Denver’s total number of active Afghan clients is 692, with a few additional families expected to arrive in the coming weeks.  

Since August 1, Colorado has welcomed 1,970 Afghan refugees under humanitarian parole, who have been assisted by the IRC, ECDC African Community Center, and Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, as well as community sponsors. As of March 2022, the U.S. has welcomed 76,000 Afghan refugees into the country. 

The IRC in Denver continues to assist Afghan APA and SIV clients with tapping into the suite of services offered to clients with refugee status. This includes: individual case management; temporary and permanent housing placement; assistance with public benefits enrollment for Medicaid, SNAP, etc.; employment and job coaching; access to cash assistance for rent, utilities, phone, internet, food, medical expenses, etc.; public transportation training; cultural orientation; school enrollment for youth; support with applying for vital documentation such as Employment Authorization Documents (EAD), Green Cards, and Social Security Cards; and health and healthcare education with referrals to primary care providers. 

Since September 3, more than 200 APA clients have received vital healthcare screening referrals, 120+ school-aged Afghan youth have been successfully enrolled in school and 45+ Afghan clients have successfully secured employment, with hundreds more working with IRC’s Job Readiness and Employment teams. The IRC in Denver has also supported more than 560 Afghan clients with securing permanent housing. Additionally, the IRC in Denver’s Immigration Legal Team is preparing to serve the hundreds of Afghan parolees required to apply for affirmative asylum when their temporary status expires one year following their entry into the United States. 

The IRC in Denver would like to thank all the partners, foundations, companies, and individuals that have been supporting this work over the last several months! While most anticipated Afghan arrivals have been welcomed to Colorado, the IRC in Denver must continue to support them through their adjustment period. The work is not yet finished, and we are grateful for your continued support! 

If you would like to continue to support the IRC in Denver as we continue welcoming refugees and immigrants from across the globe, we invite you to peruse the following options: 

On behalf of all staff and clients – thank you!