Global Cleveland’s “Welcome Week” Highlights Refugee and Immigrant Population in Northeast Ohio | The sound of ideas

Since the inception of the US refugee resettlement program in 1980, more than 3 million refugees have been accepted into this country. Under the Trump administration, the program has seen steep cuts as admissions fell to a record low of 18,000 in 2020, from an average of about 70,000 a year under the Obama administration, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

President Biden has pledged to rebuild the program, in part in response to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine. In July, the United States announced that it received more than 100,000 Ukrainians over the past five months, through various routes, including temporary or immigrant visas, as well as the traditional refugee system.

Ohio is one of the top 10 states for refugee resettlement, and as of June this year, the state has already welcomed 556 refugees, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

But what happens when refugees or immigrants arrive here? What is their experience?

The nonprofit Global Cleveland hopes the area will welcome new residents to the community. This is the 4th edition Welcome week begins Friday with celebrations intended to bring together neighbors from all walks of life.

We’re going to start the “Sound of Ideas” today by learning more about Welcome Week and why it’s important to celebrate the international population that lives here.

Later, we’ll hear from Ideastream’s Anna Huntsman talking to British Ambassador to the US, Dame Karen Pierce. She talked about a transatlantic conference Cleveland is hosting this week, as well as the big news in the UK this week – new Prime Minister Liz Truss.