Life Is ‘Really Tough’ For Refugees Trying To Settle In Pandemic America

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Faith leaders and members of human rights groups protest outside of the U.S. Capitol calling Congress not to end refugee resettlement programs on Oct. 15, 2019, in Washington.

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Jose Luis Magana/AP

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90 Days To Start A New Life: For Refugees In The U.S., What Happens Next?

Federal financial support for refugees ends at 90 days, when they are expected to become self-sufficient. That hasn’t changed during the pandemic. Now, refugees fear eviction and poverty as jobs are scarce. The usual challenges of moving to a new country are all the more daunting when many schools, offices, banks and places of worship are closed and work is drying up.

This comes at a time when many of the nonprofit agencies that resettle refugees are in financial peril, decimated by Trump administration cutbacks, and are hopeful for a reboot under President Biden.

«Mental health and groceries

Two years ago, Nuur launched a startup called Bridge, connecting local residents in Lancaster with refugees to have home-cooked meals and cross-cultural experiences together. The pandemic paused the project and he’s had to shift his efforts.

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Mustafa Nuur stands outside of his family’s food stand in Lancaster, Pa. He helps newly arrived refugees settle in the area.

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Krish O’Mara Vignarajah speaks during the Fortune Most Powerful Women Next Gen conference in 2017.

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Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Fortune

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Biden Plans To Reopen America To Refugees After Trump Slashed Admissions

President Biden extended the federal eviction moratorium through March as one of his first executive actions following his inauguration Wednesday. He has also called on lawmakers to pass an additional $30 billion in emergency aid for rent and household energy and water costs, and $5 billion for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Historically, the U.S. has taken in more refugees than any other country, but the Trump administration slashed admissions to record lows. That meant deep cuts for resettlement agencies as their federal funding tracks with refugee admissions numbers. Biden made a campaign pledge to boost the annual admissions cap to 125,000 people.

O’Mara Vignarajah hopes private donations to resettle refugees continue until more federal money is available — but «normal is still a long way off, she says.

«It’s really, really tough and difficult, says Mustafa Nuur, who will apply for U.S. citizenship this year. «But I keep getting encouraged because all of these families have made it through the worst of the situation.