Minnesota to Take in 2,500 Refugees Next Year: Report

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minnesota will be allowed to take in about 2,500 refugees next year. The U.S. State Department recently told Minnesota officials the number the state can take in during the 2017 federal fiscal year.

KARE 11 reported that according to state data, from 2003 through Oct. 31, 2016, Minnesota has taken about 39,500 refugees from numerous countries. Most refugees who have resettled over the last decade in Minnesota have been from Africa, East Asia, and Near East and South Asia. About 40 percent of the refugees came from Somalia and roughly 20 percent are from Burma.

The federal government has the authority to place refugees anywhere in the country. State governments do not have the power to refuse refugees, CNN reported.

Refugee assistance in Minnesota

Refugees are people who fled their country of origin and cannot return because of fear of persecution. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, millions of refugees are in camps today under the protection of the United Nations. The agency states that when there are no other options, the U.S. and several other Western nations provide refugees an opportunity for permanent resettlement.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services' refugee resettlement program coordinates services to help refugees transition to life in the United States. Services include:

• Resettlement and placement
• Economic supports such as cash, food and health care
• Employment and social services.

Image via Global Panorama, Flickr, used under Creative Commons