Utah stands ready to welcome Afghan refugees, according to the state’s officials. After the collapse of Afghanistan’s government, Catholic Community Services is preparing for Afghan civilians to make their way to Utah.
Catholic Community Services is one of two refugee resettlement agencies in the state.
According to Aden Batar, director of migration and community services, he doesn’t know when refugees would get to Utah, but he expects the State Department to refer some cases to Utah.
He expects the refugees will arrive sometime in late August or into September, and says Catholic Community Services has the staff and capacity to welcome any refugees who end up in the state.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also expressed his support for refugees coming to the state, posting a statement on Twitter that Utah is especially ready to welcome those who helped American troops over the last 20 years.
It is predicted that up to 22,000 Afghan refugees could end up in the U.S.