By Alexandra Weber, Chief Advancement Officer and Senior Vice President at the International Institute of New England The unanticipated urgent evacuation of 76,000 Afghans following the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 created the need for a nationwide refugee resettlement response. After years of divestment in the federal refugee resettlement program by the Trump Administration and a shrinking of the number of arrivals from nearly 100,000 annually to just 15,000 in 2019, [...]

During the month of September, the nation celebrated “Welcoming Week” as part of an initiative by Welcoming America.  “Welcoming Week” is an opportunity to celebrate new neighbors from all over the world and recognize the many ways they make our communities stronger. This year’s theme was centered around “belonging.”   Anca and Igor, two members and leaders of the IINE’s staff, shared how as immigrants, they became part of their communities. Visit our social media pages [...]