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As Refugee Numbers Dwindle, The Impact On Families And Those Helping Them Resettle

The Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program office in Colchester.
Meg Malone
/
VPR
The number of refugees coming to Vermont dropped precipitously since 2016, from 386 arrivals that year to 114 in 2019. We're looking at what the change means for refugees, their families and the agencies and nonprofits helping refugees resettle.

The number of refugees entering the U.S. has fallen dramatically in the last three years: from roughly 85,000 refugees entering the country in 2016 to fewer than 30,000 people this year. The number of refugees resettling in Vermont has shrunk to roughly a third of what it was three years ago. We're talking about changes to the country's refugee policies and how it affects the refugees coming to the country, the families they leave behind and the nonprofits and agencies helping them resettle.

Joining the discussion from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights of immigrants and aids in their transition to the U.S., is Amila Merdzanovic, director of the Colchester USCRI office. She is a refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina who has worked with refugees in Vermont for 15 years. We'll also talk with Lee Williams, who's managed refugee programs and domestic field offices as USCRI senior vice president.

Broadcast live on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

One in five Vermonters is considered elderly. But what does being elderly even mean — and what do Vermonters need to know as they age? I’m looking into how aging in Vermont impacts living essentials such as jobs, health care and housing. And also how aging impacts the stuff of life: marriage, loss, dating and sex.
Matt Smith worked for Vermont Public from 2017 to 2023 as managing editor and senior producer of Vermont Edition.
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