Kansas is expected to take in 777 refugees this year, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. Of that number, 90 will settle in southwest Kansas, mostly in Finney, Ford and Seward counties. Various organizations throughout Kansas are working with the refugees, helping them to start over in the heartland. The resettlement process begins at the federal level and then filters down into various state agencies, including the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Only 1,500 Syrian refugees have resettled in the U.S. so far this year, although President Obama will soon allow another 10,000 into the country.
These new Kansans are fleeing terror and a long-running conflicts in their former home countries. The refugees will face many new challenges here, ranging from learning English to concerns about family members left behind.
