Examining Afghan Evacuees’ Resettlement: Insights and Lessons for Future Humanitarian Populations

This report draws on interviews with Afghan refugees and community stakeholders in Chicago, San Antonio, and northern Virginia to document the effects of humanitarian parole—two-year authorizations to enter and work in the United States without a pathway to permanent residency—on topics such as employment, housing, family separation, and physical and mental health. This group of refugees experienced barriers to work, including delays in accessing work authorization cards, fear of employment termination, and restricted employment opportunities. Policymakers, resettlement agencies, and other workforce and refugee stakeholders can use lessons from this research to design policies and practices that remove barriers to employment for these new US residents.