Refugee resettlement to Georgia effectively ended

The U.S. State Department has terminated all its contracts with organizations who work to resettle refugees in Georgia.

This came after the Trump administration issued executive orders stopping funding for resettlement programs, pausing resettlements and canceling flights for approved incoming refugees who had gone through years-long vetting processes. 

“They are in limbo,” said Muzhda Oriakhil, the chair of the Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies, a metro Atlanta group with nearly two dozen nonprofits who support refugees after resettlement. “They don’t know how to help themselves, and the only response they hear is, ‘I’m sorry, we are not able to help you anymore.’”